


A Shattered Past

by Starkvenger



Category: Captain America, Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Awesome Peggy Carter, Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Friendship, Childhood, Childhood Memories, Daddy Issues, F/M, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Howard Stark's Bad Parenting, Hurt Tony Stark, I just wanna hug him, I mean VERY SLOW BUILD, I'm Bad At Summaries, M/M, Memories, Other, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Poor Tony Stark, Repressed Memories, Sad, Slow Build, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Has Daddy Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-11
Updated: 2016-08-18
Packaged: 2018-02-16 23:25:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 27,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2288459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starkvenger/pseuds/Starkvenger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony Stark, Genius Billionaire Playboy Philanthropist.</p><p>His past is a mystery, known only to a certain few.</p><p>However, When Tony is captured by a mysterious villain, what will his team do? </p><p>What happens when they're thrown into his head, his subconscious, and are forced to watch his past unfold before them?</p><p>Will they be able to help their friend before it's too late?</p><p>Maybe there was a reason Tony never told anyone about his childhood.</p><p>A really good reason.</p><p>(May Re-Write Old Chapters)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The alarm sounded, ringing through the tower. The constant sound rang through Steve's ears, making his head pound. It was 2am, so everyone was shocked to be woken up by the sudden sound. Steve shot up in bed, rubbing his eyes.

"Jarvis? Jarvis what happened?" he asked, pulling on some clothes. The alarm got quiet for a moment as the AI spoke.

"Sir Has disappeared from his workshop, Captain," Jarvis replied. Steve's eyes went wide as he ran out the door, sprinting down the stair and into the common room, down more stairs, and finally into Tony's workshop. He gasped at the sight.

Around him, papers littered the floor, along with some tools. A light flickered and some black spots on the floor smoked. Steve looked around for the billionaire, hoping and praying the AI was wrong. Of course, he wasn't.

The soldier looked around some more, lifting papers off of desks until he found something odd. He picked up a small device and moved it over, revealing a disc in a clear case. Steve picked up the disc and turned to go find his teammates, only to see them standing at the door in their PJ's.

"What happened in here?" Bruce asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Did Stark blow something up?" Clint asked.

Steve motioned for them to go upstairs and he followed them. As they made their way into the living room, Steve showed them the disc.

"I found this in the workshop. And Jarvis said that Tony's not in the tower." he said, everyone immediately waking up. Steve nodded and gave them a moment to process that as he slipped the Disc in the player. He pressed play and stepped back, watching as static filled the TV.

"Weird," Clint said, watching the screen.

"If I may interrupt sir." Jarvis said, as the signal was adjusted, a high-pitched noise filling the room.

"What the-" Natasha was cut off by the video becoming clear as the team snapped to attention to watch.

On the screen, a man wearing black sunglasses along with a deep red bandana that covered his nose and mouth appeared. He chuckled, removing his glasses to show blazing red eyes.

"Hello... _heroes_." the man said with disgust. "You may be wondering where your precious billionaire had gone off to hmm?" he asked, his voice disguised with a deep vocalizer.

"What did you do to him!?" Steve yelled.

"Oh Nothing,  _yet_. You see, my boss has plans for him." The man replied with a smirk.

"What," Natasha ordered.

"Oh, Expose his secrets, making him relive the trauma he's faced, get revenge." The man replied sickeningly happy.

"And how are you going to do that?" Clint asked, his voice cold.

"Easy. Archer. My agents and I have already hacked into that AI you call Jarvis. Too bad we couldn't stop him from alerting you." he said, as the lights went out in the penthouse, leaving only the TV to cast light into the room.

"Much better. Now. Down to business." the man said slowly, venom dripping from his words. The team heard a hissing sound as gas filled the air. "Have fun Avengers..." The voice faded as the heroes lost consciousness.

* * *

Tony was thrown into a dark room, his hands chained and his mouth gagged. He looked around and could barely make out the dimensions of the room.

In the corner was a wooden chair, the wood old and splintered. On the steel door was a slot, more than likely for food. It was cold and damp in the room, and Tony could smell the faintest hints of mildew. Other than him and the chair, the room was empty.

Tony sat on the ground, pulling his knees up to his chest and tried to stay calm. He took a deep breath and released. He felt a trickle of blood run down from his forehead where a guard hit him, and the large gash was beginning to ache.

Suddenly, there was a high pitched noise as a voice came in through the speakers. "Hello Anthony." the voice said. Tony glared at the wall, not knowing where the voice was coming from.

"What do you want." he spat.

"You'll see soon enough." the voice replied, as Tony felt a sharp pain in his neck, looking back to see a device being hooked up to the back on his neck by a large guard. He smirked as the needle made the billionaire flinch, and his body soon went numb.

Tony tried to fight the urge to fall asleep, but the force pulling on him was too strong. He fell to the floor as everything went black.

* * *

Steve and the heroes woke up in a solid white room, with no doors or windows. They slowly stood up and looked around, finding their weapons missing.

"Where the hell are we?" Clint asked, rubbing his head as he stood. The archer helped Natasha up and they looked around.

Steve shrugged and helped Bruce stand up, flinching as a voice rang through the room.

"I see your awake Avengers." it was the man from before. "The man you know as Tony Stark, the man with an ego the size of Manhattan, the one who is always cracking jokes. The man who is never serious. Well your about to find out why the billionaire doesn't like company." the voice said as a screen appeared on the wall.

"Watch," he commanded as the image appeared on the screen.

* * *

**Tony was about 3 days old, lying in a crib in the hospital room.**

**Howard Stark stood outside, talking on his phone. "Yes, yes I know. Listen, it's only for a week. My kid was born so I had to be here. I promise i'll be back on Thursday. Yes I know its time sensitive. YES I KNOW! GODDAMNIT I WANT TO FIND STEVE AS BADLY AS YOU SO STOP!" he yelled, taking a deep breath and slicking back his hair.**

**"Ok Peggy. I know, We'll find him." he said, saying goodbye and hanging up. Howard looked to the room his son was in and sighed.**

**"You. Your the reason I'm here. I should be looking for my friend, but no, I'm stuck here, watching you." he said, staring at the small boy. He shook his head and walked down the hall, his hands in his pockets.**

**Tony began to wail, and Howard stopped for a moment, looking back to the room. He shook his head and started walking again, turning around the corner.**

* * *

The Avengers weren't sure of what they had just saw, but they were shocked none the less.

"That was Howard," Steve said, looking at the screen. "He seemed- different," he said, a confused look on his face.

"Hey guy!" Clint called out.

"What archer."

"What the hell did we just watch?!" he asked, sitting on one of the two white benches in the room.

"That was one of Tony Stark's memories. You see, we have something, a device, that is connected to the part of his brain where memories are stored. Let's just say your going to see a lot more than that." the voice said with an evil chuckle.

Steve sat down on a bench and Bruce sat beside him, patting his shoulder. "I swear if you did anything to hurt him I'll-" Steve was cut off by the voice.

"What are you going to do?" You're in his mind dumb-ass." the voice said.

The Avengers stayed silent. "W-what?" Natasha asked.

"You heard me, Romanoff."

Natasha growled at the voice but took her seat. "Whatever," she said.

The screen flickered before another video showed up. "I guess we'll have to watch and see. Bide your time Nat." Steve said, watching the screen.

* * *

 **Tony was about a year old, and was sitting in his mother's lap, chewing on a teething ring. Baby Tony babbled and gurgled, drooling over the toy.** **"He's such a handsome boy Howard." Maria said as she looked over to Howard, who was standing at his desk, flicking his head between maps.**

**"Uh-huh. That's nice Maria. I'm trying to work." he said, waving her away. Maria rolled her eyes and looked to Tony, who blinked and gurgled. She smiled and stroked his chestnut brown hair, his gentle curls wrapping around her fingers.**

**"My beautiful little boy." she said, rocking him back and forth as she sang him a song softly.**

**"Goodnight my angel, time to close your eyes.**

And **save these questions for another day.**

**I think I know what you've been asking me, I think you know what I've been trying to say.**

**I promised I would never leave you, and you should always know,**

**Where ever you go, no matter where you are,**

**I'll never be far away."**

**As Maria finished the song Tony was sleeping soundly, his fingers curled around her pinkie. "Goodnight my sweet," she said as she began walking upstairs, stopping to look at her husband.**

**"Oh Howard..." she said as she continued up, putting Tony to bed as she walked back downstairs.**

* * *

"Maria..." Steve said as the video faded to black, his mouth hanging open slightly.

"Her voice is beautiful," Thor said, sitting down on the floor.

The team nodded in agreement.

"Guys, I think we're gonna be here for a while," Clint said, leaning against the wall.

"Yea." Steve said with a sigh, trying to comprehend what he had seen. Howard had been looking for him, and looked like he was getting a little obsessed.

The soldier was brought back to reality when Bruce snapped his fingers in front of his face, making him shake his head. "What? Oh sorry," he said, his cheeks turning crimson.

"Guys, another one's starting," Natasha said as they turned their attention to the screen.

Yep. They'd be there for a while.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More memories, and WARNING: its about to get pretty messed up.

The team sat in the white room, watching as the next image appeared on the screen.

"I hope this is over soon," Steve said, running his hands through his hair.

"Me too," Bruce said, patting the soldier on the back.

* * *

**Tony was about 1 and a half and was crawling around on the floor of Howard's shop in a Captain America onesie as the man stared at maps and charts, dark bags under his eyes. Baby Tony babbled and crawled over to a wrench, sitting on the concrete and picking up the tool. He giggled and banged the wrench on the floor.**

**Howard looked to his son and scowled. "No Anthony. Stop that. I'm trying to work." he said, taking the wrench away from the boy. The baby stared at the man with big brown eyes, tears forming in the corners.**

**"What?" Howard asked, setting the wrench on a table. He walked over to the baby, squatting next to him. "Why are you crying? Starks don't cry. You hear me? STARKS DON"T CRY!" he yelled, making the baby wail.**

**"Great. MARIA! COME GET HIM!" Howard yelled, walking back to his desk. Maria soon came in with a worried expression on her face, her hair pinned back much like Pepper's only some hair strands were hanging loose. She had dark bags under her eyes as she walked into the workshop.**

**"What is it Howard." she said, her voice frustrated.**

**"The boy. He's crying. Take him." he said, pointing to the wailing baby. Maria's expression changed to sad, walking over to the boy and picking him up. She cooed to him, rocking him back and forth as his cries slowly quieted.**

**"Honestly Howard, it's like you don't even care." she spat, staring at her baby.**

**Howard shot her a glare, looking to the boy. "Well, I don't. The only reason he stays is because I want Stark industries to carry on," he said, looking back to his maps.**

**Maria rolled her eyes and walked out of the shop, her breathing uneven and heavy. She carried Tony up the stairs and into the living room. She set him down on the carpet and he crawled around, stopping at a Captain America plushie on the floor. He sat down and picked up the doll, shoving an arm in his mouth.**

**Maria chuckled softly. "You like Steve honey?" she asked with a soft smile. Tony looked to her and giggled with the arm in his mouth.**

**"I know. He was a good man," she said, leaning her head on her arm as she sat in the chair.**

**Tony spat out the doll and crawled over to Maria, sitting at her feet. "What is it baby?" she asked.** **Tony smiled, his mouth toothless except for a single tooth poking through his front gums.**

**Maria laughed at the boy.**

* * *

The video ended and the team wasn't sure what to think.

"Howard seems...frustrated. And really? Yelling at a baby?" Natasha said, staring at the screen as it faded to black.

"Oh but that Captain America onesie!" Clint joked, getting a punch to the arm from Natasha.

"What do you think Steve?" Bruce asked, looking to the soldier, who was staring at the screen, his mouth slightly open. "Steve?" Bruce asked, waving his hand in front of his face.

"What? Huh?" the soldier said, shaking his head.

"Steve. What did you think of the video?" the scientist asked.

"Oh. Well, I- uh...I thought Howard, well the Howard I knew was kinder than that. Maria was always a sweetheart, but the Howard I knew would never yell at a child, none the less his own." Steve said, leaning against the wall behind him.

"Yea. He seems a little obsessed with finding you." Clint said, rubbing his hands together.

"Young Anthony seemed to have taken a shine to you, Captain," Thor said with a smile.

Steve nodded. "Yea," he said with a sigh.

Suddenly, a voice rang through the room.

"Hello. Heroes." the voice said. The team was immediately on guard, looking around them. "Having fun yet?" it asked, sickeningly happy.

"What do you want?!" Clint yelled, looking around.

"What? Me? Oh, nothing much. Just Revenge." it said.

The Avengers watched around them, glaring. Steve stood on guard as his eyes darted around him, searching for any sign of the voice's origin. The voice cackled.

"Oh Avengers, our little game has only begun. Soon you'll see how much of a monster Mr. Stark truly is," he said, as another memory appeared on the screen.

* * *

**This time, Tony was about 2 years old and sitting on the floor in a Captain America shirt and playing with some race cars.**

**Suddenly, there was a crash along with loud cursing. Tony flinched and looked behind him to the workshop. Maria's voice could be heard along with Howard's, and they were arguing.**

**Tony shivered and stood up, wobbled for a moment, but grabbed his cars and wobble-walked to the corner. In the corner was a large pillow with a small Captain America blanket on it, along with some toys.**

**Baby Tony sat down on the pillow and grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around himself, covering his head and body. He flinched when he heard the voices boom again, pulling the blanket tighter around him.**

**Underneath the blanket, Tony sat shivering from fear. He knew that when daddy was mad, he got hurt. He rubbed his arm, a large bruise on it, and listened as the screaming got louder. Little Tony held his blanket close around him, listening to his parents argue.**

**"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN MARIA!" Howard yelled.**

**"YOU NEED TO BE A FATHER AND QUIT CHASING DREAMS HOWARD!" Maria yelled back.**

**There was a loud slap, and some silence before Maria spoke again. The parents had made their way into the hall next to the living room, so Tony heard everything.**

**"You need to be a father. He needs a father figure in his life, Howard. And You will have to do it on your own if you keep treating me this way." she said, glaring at the man.**

**Tony poked his head out of the blanket and stared as his parents argued. Howard glared at Maria, gritting his teeth. He looked to the living room and saw Tony's head, which quickly disappeared.**

**"HEY! YOU LITTLE BRAT! YOU WANNA EAVESDROP HUH?" he boomed. Tony whimpered and shook his head under the blanket, not really sure what his dad was saying.**

**"Don't yell at him! Howard, he's two. And you're drunk. Go back down to the lab. Go look for Steve, do something. Don't take it out on him." Maria said as she got in between them, her chest puffing out in bravery.**

**Howard glared at her, before grumbling something about having work to do before heading back to his workshop. Maria sighed and walked over to her son, dropping to her knees.**

**Tony poked his head out of the blanket again, looking at his mom with tears in her eyes. Her cheek was red and a small bruise was forming on her forehead. He crawled out and climbed into her lap, snuggling close to her. "M-m-Momma," he said with a little struggle, hugging her waist.**

**Maria gasped and held him out in front of her. "Tony! Baby, you said your first words!" she said happily, wiping away her tears. Tony giggled and snuggled close when she brought him close to her body.**

**"I'm sorry honey. I promise you someday we'll get away," she said softly, stroking his hair as he fell asleep.**

* * *

The image faded and the team sat in silence, trying to process what they'd seen.

Steve sighed, his composure beginning to waver. "I can't believe that. How- How can he be like that?" he asked, dropping his head into his hands.

"That's exactly how he was described in the Shield file. After you went missing, it says that he became an alcoholic, he was rude, and never went to any social gatherings." Natasha said, folding her arms.

Clint sighed. "Anyone else kinda feel bad for watching this? I mean, it kinda feels like we're invading Stark's privacy," he said, rubbing the wood on the bench.

"A little," Bruce said, rubbing his hand against his knuckles.

"What did Maria mean when she said they'd 'get away'?" Natasha asked.

"I guess we'll find out," Steve said, pointing to the screen as a new memory came up.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More memories....I love writing for kid tony, but he's really hard to do. I know he's a genius, but i still want him to have that childish quality to him. :/
> 
> hope I did alright. Comment what you think! :D

The Avengers sat in silence as the next memory appeared on the screen. Steve was beginning to get nervous and felt a little guilty.

* * *

**Tony sat on the floor of his dad's workshop. He was still about 4 years old, judging by his size. He had a small bruise on his arm, along with a cut on his cheek. The boy sat on the floor, messing with wires and circuits attached to the metal.**

**He used a screwdriver to turn the bolts, making them tight and wiped the sweat off his forehead, something he had seen his dad do many times. Tony smiled at the device, setting down his tools.**

**The boy stood up and picked up his creation, taking it over to his father, who was lying on the couch with a drink in his hand.**

**"Daddy? Look! I made dis." he said, his cheeks rosy from his hard work. Tony held up the circuit board for his father to see and smiled, only to have Howard snatch it away from him and scowl.**

**"So you built a circuit board. So what? When you can make something that helps find Steve, then you can get my approval." he bellowed, tossing the device to the floor, it breaking in two.**

**Tony watched his dad, tears brimming in his eyes, but quickly wiped them away. He had learned that if he cried, daddy would slap him. "Stark's don't cry," he would say.**

**Tony swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded, turning away from the man. He walked over to where he had been working and glared at the tools as if it were their fault. He then walked to the door of the workshop, opening it and trudging upstairs.**

**Once he made it up, he ran to his room, which was at the end of the hall, and plopped onto his bed. His covers were Captain America, as were his sheets and PJ's. He sat on the bed, pulling his legs up under him and looked around, glaring at the posters on his wall.**

**"This is all your fault!" he yelled at a poster, running over to it and pounding on it with his little fists. "You're all daddy cares about!" he said, tears forming again. This time, he let them fall as he slowly walked back to his bed, slumping under the covers.**

**Tony lay his head down on his pillow, burying his face in the soft fabric. His muffled cries were barely heard as he cried himself to sleep.**

* * *

The heroes sat and watched as little Tony had tried so hard to please his dad, only to be shunned. Tears brimmed in Steve's eyes as Tony talked to his poster, and they fell as he watched the boy cry himself to sleep.

"I had no idea." he said after a moment.

Natasha got up and walked over to him. "It's ok Steve. There's nothing you could have done," she said, patting him on the shoulder.

The soldier stared at the damp spots on the floor, thinking. It was his fault, his fault that Howard treated Tony that way. It's safe to say he felt bad about it.

"Aye, It is alright Captain. You were in a frozen slumber. It is not your fault." Thor said, giving Steve a weak smile.

"You know, we all knew Tony was a genius," Clint started, trying to lighten the mood. "But I had no idea he could build a circuit board at age 5," he said with a smile, shaking his head.

"Yea I was pretty amazed by that too," Bruce said, a small smile on his lips.

The voice rang through the room, interrupting the heroes' chat.

Clint chuckled. "I thought your purpose was to show us what a 'monster' Tony was. This just shows that Howard was a dick," he said, his attitude apparent.

"Well, Avengers. My boss thought you should have some background as to why Mr. Stark was a monster. It runs in his family. And, not only that, we're trying to expose all his secrets. All the things in his past he wouldn't talk about. The secrets of his childhood. His past that no one knows of. We plan to uncover it all." he said.

"You're an ass," Bruce said, glaring at the wall.

"Tsk tsk Dr. Banner. Control your temper. You wouldn't want to hulk out in here would you? It would destroy your friend's mind after all." the voice taunted, making Bruce growl.

"Doctor. Calm down." Steve said, pulling the man back down into his seat.

"I'm calm. I just don't like this man using Tony for his personal gain." the scientist said, taking a seat.

"Oh, Mr. Stark is used to it I assure you." the voice replied as a new memory appeared.

* * *

**Tony was about 5 and was eating some cereal at the dining table. He looked at a magazine, which had "Engineer's Best" as the title. He looked bored out of his mind as he flipped through the pages, muttering things like, "built that." "I could make a better one." until he came to a page with his last name on it.**

**He glared at the page, at his last name, and sighed. He closed the magazine and finished his cereal, taking it to the sink and setting it inside. Tony grabbed the magazine and carried it down to the workshop, where his dad was working on some machine.**

**"hi, dad," Tony said as he passed the man, setting the magazine on the table.**

**Howard grumbled and continued to work on the machine. Tony walked over to a small wooden desk in the corner of the shop and sat down in a chair, grabbing a pencil from the soup can. He pulled out a blank piece of paper and wrote a small note in the corner of the page.**

**'Super Hero' it said. Tony smiled to himself at the word and began to draw. He sketched lines and shapes, and the form slowly became clearer. It looked like a mixture of a robot and the tin man from the Wizard of Oz.**

**Tony then began to make notes around it, writing things like 'steel' and 'rivets' before scribbling some of them out. Tony sat and worked on his drawing for a while before he set the pencil back in the can, stood up, and grabbed the picture.**

**He walked over to his dad and stood there, knowing better than to interrupt him when he was working. "D-dad?" he asked when Howard came out from under the machine.**

**"I'm working." Howard said, his voice cold and unfeeling.**

**"But I made this for you. It's- it's a superhero suit. See? It's got rocket launchers and guns that would be hidden inside and there are rocket boots on the feet so it can fly, and-" Tony was cut off with a slap to the face, making him whimper in pain.**

**"Did I say you could speak?!" Howard growled, making the boy cower in fear.**

**Tony shook his head and trembled, tears threatening to show their presence in his eyes. Howard glared at the boy and snatched away the picture, looking it over.**

**"This is shit. Quit trying to be a hero and go clean the floor. You're no hero, so don't act like one." Howard snapped, ripping the paper to shreds. "Clean that up," he said, turning back to his machine.**

**Tony looked to his picture, his lip quivering. The boy blinked away the tears and walked over to the wall and grabbed the broom, sweeping the floor.**

_**"He's right."** _ **Tony thought.**

* * *

Young Tony's voice rang through the room, making the heroes flinch.

"What was that?" Natasha asked.

"Must be his thoughts," Bruce answered. "Watch. Something's happening."

* * *

**Tony pushed the broom along, sweeping up trash. He accidentally bumped into a table, making Howard's coffee cup crash to the floor. Tony gasped as Howard's head whipped around so fast, he could have gotten whiplash.**

**Howard glared at the cup and the boy, his eyes seething with rage. "ARE YOU STUPID?!" he yelled.**

**Tony blinked and backed away slowly, shaking his head.**

**Howard walked after him, breathing heavily. "You've done it now boy. And Your mother is away, so she won't save you this time," he said, his voice low and menacing.**

**"Please, dad I'm sorry I didn't mean to. I'm so sorry!" Tony pleaded, backing into the wall.**

**"Too late for apologies," Howard said, slapping across the face. The boy whimpered in pain, slinking down to the floor. "Now get out. I can't stand the sight of you anymore," he said.**

**Tony ran up the stairs and through the living room, up to the second floor and into his room, shutting the door behind him. The boy's breathing was heavy and uneven, and his breathing hitched every once in a while.**

**Tony walked over to his window and grabbed a phone from under his dresser in the corner. His dad had a bunch of these, so he hadn't noticed when the boy had taken one. He dialed the number he knew by heart and waited for the line to open.**

**"Hello?" a female voice came in through the phone.**

**"Aunt Peggy?" Tony asked his breathing hitching. He was trembling from fright and sat in the corner, phone up to his ear and legs up to his chest.**

**"What is it Tony?" she asked, her voice alarmed.**

**"C-Could you come over please? And don't tell dad cause he's- he's angry right now." he said, clutching the phone like it was his lifeline.**

**"Yes, hon. I'll be right over," she said, and Tony breathed a sigh of relief.**

**"Thank you so much aunt Peggy." he said with a small smile.**

**"Your welcome. I'll be there in a few moments," she said as Tony hung up.**

**Tony sat in his room in the dark for a while, talking to himself about various things. He looked around and thought about what he could do to make his father happy with him, but was interrupted by a knocking at his window.**

**The boy looked to the glass and lifted it up, letting in the female soldier. Tony had a large smile on his face, which honestly hurt a little to do because of the slap.**

**Peggy climbed in the window and smiled at the boy, kneeling down and pulling him into a hug. "Are you alright? Here let me see," she said, checking his arms and face.**

**She had a sad look on her face as she looked at his back, where deep red gashes, from side to side were. She put his shirt down and pulled him into another hug, which he gladly returned.**

**"I'm so sorry he does that to you darling," she said softly, running her hand through his curly chocolate hair. Tears brimmed in her eyes and she wanted to let them fall, but she had to be strong for her little soldier.**

**"It's only when I make him angry," Tony said.**

**"Well, it shouldn't happen at all," Peggy replied, sitting on the floor with the boy.**

**"I'm sorry," Tony said, moving the bangs out of his eyes.**

**Peggy smiled at him and sighed, pulling him into another hug. "It's not your fault. If your mother were here she'd stop him. If I could, I'd whisk you away from here, and you could live with me." she said, looking at his wall at a poster.**

**"But, your father would win any legal issues. He has the best lawyers in the business after all," she sighed, letting Tony go.**

**"It's alright. Hey, you wanna see what I'm working on?" he asked, standing up.**

**Peggy nodded and Tony smiled, his cheeks rosy. He runs clumsily over to his closet, pulling out a big box. Tony then pushed the box over to Peggy, with much struggle, and opened it up.** **Inside, there was part of a motor, along with many parts.**

**"I've gathered a bunch of stuff from the workshop and I'm working on making my own motor." Tony beamed, staring at the engine with pride. Peggy smiled at the boy, shaking her head.**

**"Your an amazing boy Tony. You know that? No matter what your father says, no matter what anyone says, just know that I'll always think you are amazing." she said, smiling at him.**

**"Thanks, aunt Peggy," Tony replied, hugging her.**

* * *

Steve sat and watched as the image faded, attempting to blink back tears, only to have them fall to the floor. He looked over to his teammates, all of them, aside from Natasha and Thor, were teary-eyed.

The soldier took a deep breath and stood, walking over to the wall and leaning on it, hiding his face in his hands. "This is all my fault," he said to himself, making Natasha and Bruce practically run to his side.

"No, Steve don't blame yourself. Howard's a dick." Natasha said, leaning on his shoulder.

"Nat, if I'd have been there, I could have stopped him from hurting Tony. Hell, he wouldn't be this way if I hadn't been stuck in the stupid ice. Tony could have had a normal childhood." he said, rubbing his eyes, which were now red and puffy.

"Then we would have our favorite genius," Bruce said with a small smile.

"Really?" Steve asked, looking at the scientist.

Bruce nodded, opening his mouth to speak when an image appeared on the screen. "To be continued," he said, leading the trio back to the sofa.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas Time for the Stark household.  
> -  
> Please don't hate me....

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Steve and Bruce followed Natasha back to the couch, taking their seats. Steve sighed and stared at the screen, wanting to punch it with all his might. He felt a hand on his shoulder, bringing him back to reality.

"Steve. I'm serious. Don't blame yourself ok?" Bruce said with a small smile.

Steve nodded and looked to the screen, a memory appearing.

* * *

**There was a fire crackling in the fireplace, and a pot of poinsettias sat on the glass coffee table. The windows were dark and fogged from the snow. A soft humming was heard through the living room, and the scent of cinnamon filled the air.**

**A 6-year-old Tony stood staring our the window, watching the delicate snowflakes fall. He smiled as the window fogged up from his breath, and he wiped it away to look at the neighbor's lights.**

**Peggy walked in from the kitchen, humming softly. She smiled and watched the boy, carrying a cup of cocoa to the boy. "Having fun?" she asked, setting it on the window sill.** **Tony nodded and thanked her for the drink, sipping it.**

**"I'm so happy Dad let you come stay with us for the holidays," Tony said, smiling at the woman who was so dear to him. "I love that you decorate too. Dad never decorates for Christmas," he said.**

**"Me too," Peggy replied, ruffling the boy's hair. "Why don't we go see what's under the tree?" she asked, taking his hand.**

**The pair walked over to a Christmas tree, lit up with light blue lights. Ornaments hung from some limbs, and underneath it was a couple of presents. Tony smiled and grabbed one, handing it to Peggy.**

**"This one is for you. I made it," he said, smiling.**

**"Well, I can't open it right now. We have to wait for tomorrow remember?" she said, her voice soft and caring.**

**Tony frowned and sighed, nodding. He then smiled and told her to wait there, running up the stairs. He ran into his room, nearly tripping on the way, and reached under his bed. He grabbed a cardboard box and pulled it out, rubbing his hand against it.**

**He sighed. "I hope she likes it," he said to himself, carrying the box carefully as if it were full of glass. Tony started making his way down the stairs when he heard talking.**

**"You don't need to fill his head with dumb fantasies. He has a job to do. You're going to dumb his brain with that crap." Howard snapped, glaring at Peggy.**

**"Howard. He's six years old. He needs this in his life, otherwise, he's going to be a messed up adult." she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "He's not a machine. He's a human being. He's your son."**

**"I couldn't care less if he was the king of England." Howard spat, turning his back to the woman.**

**Tony listened at the top of the stairs, clutching the box in his arms. He wanted to walk down the stairs, but he was too afraid. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he shook them off, not wanting to cry.**

**"Howard, have you not even noticed the letters Maria has sent you? She left because she couldn't handle your abuse. If you don't change, I'm going to fight to take custody of Tony." Peggy said, her voice sharp and cold.**

**"You can't," Howard said, whipping around to face her. "I need him to take the company. No way in hell is someone else getting it," he said, anger rising up in his voice.**

**"I can and I will if you don't take care of him." she snapped.**

**Howard grumbled something and walked towards the stairs to his lab. He slammed the door behind him and eventually Peggy relaxed.**

**Tony blinked and slowly made his way down the stairs, still clutching the box. He stumbled onto the last step, looking up at his aunt. He averted his gaze and stood up, handing her the box.**

**"What's this?" she asked, kneeling down.**

**"It-It's a present. Whenever dad throws things away when he's drunk, I go get it from the trash. Please open it." he said, looking up at her.**

**Peggy smiled and ran her fingers over the small cardboard box.**

**"Ok." she said, lifting the lid.**

**Peggy gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, tears filling her eyes. Tony's eyes went wide and flinched, immediately apologizing. "I'm sorry Aunt Peggy! I didn't mean to make you cry! I'm so sorry. I just thought-"**

**Tony was cut off by the woman pulling him into a hug. She dropped the box and it fell to the floor, pictures and notes spilling out of it.**

**Old, tattered picture of Steve and Howard, along with Peggy and the General fell to the floor, scattering about. A medal fell out, clinking as it hit the wood.**

**"Oh, Tony..." Peggy said, releasing the boy. "You saved this from the trash?" she asked, running her fingers through his hair.**

**"Yea...I- I just thought you might like to have them since dad doesn't want them anymore." he said, playing with his fingers.**

**"I love them." she said, smiling.**

**The pair then turned to the mess, picking up the old photos and stuff. They put them back into the box, and Peggy held it tightly. She smiled and cupped the boy's face with her hand, making him blush.**

**"Go on up to bed. Santa won't come unless your asleep." she said, The boy gasped and running up the stairs rambling about a Santa tracker. Tony scrambled to get into his pajamas, turned off his light, and jumped onto his bed, covering himself with the blanket.**

**Peggy walked in and sat on the edge. "Merry Christmas Tony. See you in the morning," she said, kissing his forehead.**

**"Goodnight Aunt Peggy," Tony said, falling asleep.**

* * *

The image faded, leaving the heroes to think.

"Why doesn't tony like decorating for Christmas anymore? He seems to have loved it when he was little." Steve said remembering last Christmas when they didn't even have a tree or decorations, and Tony had locked himself in the workshop.

"Man if Howard was still alive, I'd give him a piece of my mind," Clint said, his fists clenched tightly.

"Calm down Clint. He's long gone." Natasha said, putting her hand on the archer's shoulder. She gave him a small smile and he visually relaxed.

"So heroes. You've seen some of Mr. Stark's past. Are you ready to see his inner demons?" the voice rang through the room, everyone on guard. The Avengers tensed, hearing the disembodied voice, and looked around, knowing they couldn't see him.

"What inner demons?" Clint asked, a confused look on his face.

"You'll see...archer." the voice said, and as if on cue, which it probably was, a new memory appeared.

* * *

**Tony was about 7 years old and was working on something in the workshop. Howard peered over his shoulder, his gaze cold and unfeeling. "Work faster boy." Howard snapped, causing Tony to flinch and burn his finger with the welder.**

**The boy bent over in pain, holding his finger tightly. He whimpered and bit his lip, making it bleed. Eventually, he sat back up, panting and shaking his head.**

**"Get back to work you dog." Howard said, the boy working instantly.**

**"Yes sir," he whispered, beginning to weld again. Tony worked diligently and eventually stopped. He put the metal panel over what he was working on and welded it on.**

**Tony was sweating and panting a little but held up the device to his father. "Here you go, sir. The Hark Missile." Tony said, his voice rough. Howard snatched the weapon away and glared at the boy, pointing a finger at the workshop door.**

**Tony nodded and ran to the door, climbing up the stairs. The boy ran into the kitchen, turning on the faucet. He drank the water running from it greedily, and soon turned off the faucet, grabbing some cheese from the fridge. He stuffed it into his mouth and ate it, sighing after he swallowed.**

**Tony licked his lips and walked into the living room, up the stairs, and into his room. He sat on his bed, lying back. Tony stared at the one poster on his ceiling, the color starting to fade, and smiled.**

**"Cap, what would you do? I know the weapons I make are gonna be used to hurt people, but I can't go against father's will. What do I do?" he asked the poster, hope filling his features before leaving them in almost an instant.**

**"Your crazy Tony. Father said so himself. You're no hero, so don't try to be one." he said to himself, turning on his side. The boy sighed, sitting up. He grabbed a sketchpad from out of his desk and flipped through it.**

**He smiled at the old drawings, stopping when he got to one in particular. He glared at the drawing of a robotic suit, mouthing the words 'stupid' as he did.**

**Tony rolled his eyes and tossed the book on the floor, laying down in his bed. He sighed contently, closing his eyes. "I wish I could be a superhero," he said sadly, falling asleep.**

**The image shifted to when Tony was 11, and he was sitting in the garden with Peggy. They watched as the bluebirds chirped and fluttered about. Tony sat in Peggy's lap, smiling at the animals.**

**"They're beautiful aren't they?" Peggy asked, watching the birds.**

**Tony nodded and leaned his head back and took a deep breath. "I love it when you come over," he said, closing his eyes.**

**Peggy smiled and ran her fingers through his hair, humming softly. "Me too. What have you been up to?" she asked.**

**"The usual. Dad has me working on weapons, I got kicked out of another school for trying to teach the class, and my birthday's coming up," he said with a small smile.**

**"Well, then I guess I have to get you a present," Peggy said, standing up. She lifted the boy up and smiled, putting an arm around him.**

**The pair walked into the house and sat at the dining table, talking.**

* * *

The image faded out and left the heroes watching the screen, some shaking their heads, others unable to watch.

"Bastard," Clint said, his hands shaking.

"It's alright. We know he didn't hurt Tony enough to kill him." Bruce said, looking to the archer.

"I wouldn't say that." the voice said, making them jump.

"What do you mean?" Steve asked, wiping away the tears forming in his eyes.

"You'll see."

The Avengers sighed, cause, that meant another memory.

* * *

**Tony was 8 years old, lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to wires and tubes, his face pale, bruises and red marks covering his arms and chest.**

**He breathed slowly, his chest moving weakly up and down.**

**The door creaked open, the whispering in the hall dying down. Peggy stepped through, her eyes red. She walked to the boy's bed, taking a seat in the chair beside it.**

**"Hey little man." she said, running her hand through his hair.**

**Tony's head moved slightly, turning towards her. He tried speaking, Peggy putting her finger up to his lips, currently covered by a breathing mask.**

**"It's ok. Don't talk right now," she said with a sad smile.**

**But Tony was persistent, and he slowly moved his hand to move the mask. He licked his dry, bloody lips and smiled slightly.**

**"...I love you..." he said, his voice hoarse from lack of use.**

**Peggy teared up and nodded, moving the mask back into place. "I love you too my little superhero," she told him.**

**A nurse walked in carrying a clipboard, a small smile on her face at the sight of them.**

**"Hello miss Carter. Tony's doing very well today," she said.**

**"How is everything?" she asked as if it was a routine.**

**"He still has four broken ribs, a punctured lung, and his wrist is broken. He had several bruises around his body, and his feet are cut to pieces. His back has multiple scars on it..." she read, looking to the boy.**

**"He's a brave one." she said sadly, holding the clipboard to her chest.**

**Peggy nodded.**

**"Yea. My little superhero," she said, running her hand through his brown locks.**

**The nurse motioned for Peggy to come to her, and they talked in the corner.**

**"Miss Carter, we...the doctors aren't sure if he's going to make it." she said.**

**Peggy blinked, taking in the information. She shook her head.**

**"No."**

**"Excuse me?"**

**"I said, no. You're going to do all you can to save that boy's life. He has endured so much already, and if he's not willing to give up, you shouldn't either." Peggy said, her voice commanding.**

**The nurse swallowed.**

**"Y-yes ma'am," she said, hurrying away and out the door.**

* * *

The image faded, leaving a room of shocked Avengers.

Steve and Clint were in tears, Bruce trying to comfort them, and Thor was blubbering like a big Asgardian baby. Even Natasha had tears in her eyes, staring at the place the memory had been.

"That's it. I hate it here." Clint said, sniffling.

"Just let us out already!" Bruce yelled to no one.

The voice laughed.

"We're not done yet."

* * *

**It was Christmas time again, and Tony was about 9, sitting by the Christmas tree with Peggy, watching the twinkling lights and sipping cocoa with her.**

**"The tree's my favorite part of Christmas." tony said, laying his head on Peggy's shoulder.**

**Peggy smiled and hugged the boy, watching the lights fade and come back to life.**

**"Santa comes tonight," Peggy said, making the boy laugh.**

**"Oh yeah." he said, looking under the tree.**

**Underneath** **were 3 large boxes, all addressed to him from people he didn't know, such as a man named General Phillips and someone named Brook Fields, and one that didn't have a name.**

**"Can I open one tonight?" he asked a hopeful gleam in his eyes.**

**Peggy shook her head and smiled.**

**"Then you won't have as many to open tomorrow." she told him.**

**"Oh come on! Please?" he begged, giving her sad, puppy dog eyes.**

**Peggy sighed and smiled, nodding her head. "Alright. Alright. Go ahead." she said with a knowing smirk.**

**Tony tore at the presents, ripping the paper off the boxes as he opened them, his eyes full of excitement.**

**He pulled out a toy robot from the general's gift, a tool set from Mrs. Field's, and a sketchpad from the blank one.**

**The boy smiled at the gifts, looking at them with wonder. His happiness was soon interrupted by a certain drunk man.**

**Soon Howard stumbled in, and Peggy told Tony to go upstairs. Tony ran up the wooden stairs, holding his gifts to his chest, the soft wood creaking under his weight. Shouts could be heard as he scrambled into his room, shutting the door behind him.**

**Tony sat with his back against the door, flinching each time he heard the crashing of plates below him.**

**The boy ran to the window, snow filling the creases. He had tears in his eyes and stared at the sky. "Please. Please if you're real please let my father stop being angry with Aunt Peggy, just let him be mad at me. Please." he said, his little hands folded and eyes closed tightly.**

**Tony flinched as a gunshot rang through the house, everything slowing down.**

**He looked to the door in horror and froze, his breathing echoing in his head. "No.," he breathed, tearing himself away from the window, a terrified look on his face.**

**The boy ran to his door, opening it quickly. He ran out into the hall, his breathing heavy and uneven. Tony ran to the top of the stairs, skidding on the floor. His eyes darted around to the room below him.**

**His eyes went wide and his mouth hung open, tears brimming in them. Tony's voice echoed in his mind.**

**"AUNT PEGGY!"**

**Tony shouted, running down the stairs. He ran to his aunt, her lying on the floor, breathing weakly. A deep red spot stained her ruffled white top. Tony kneeled next to her, holding her head in his arms.**

**"Peggy! Please Aunt Peggy!" he begged, tears falling onto her.**

**Peggy coughed, looking to Tony with tears in her eyes.**

**"I'm sorry Tony. Please *cough* please be strong. For me." she said, her chest moving slowly up and down.**

**"No! NO!" Tony yelled, standing up to run in the kitchen, dialing the emergency number.**

**"Hello? What is your emergency?" the lady on the line asked.**

**"Please help me! My aunt Peggy's just been shot. Please come hurry!" he said, looking back to his aunt.**

**"Ok Ok, it's alright. What's your address?" she asked, trying to calm the boy.**

**"2216 Magnolia."**

**"Alright thank you. We'll be there soon."**

**Tony hung up the phone and ran back to Peggy, sitting beside her.**

**"Auntie please hold on. The doctors are coming," he said, moving her hair gently out of her face.**

**Peggy shook her head weakly.**

**"No Tony, I'm too badly hurt. I'm sorry," she said, coughing roughly.**

**Tony shook his head and took her hand.**

**"No no, please! Please stay with me!" he pleaded.**

**Peggy smiled and closed her eyes, her grip loosening.**

**"Auntie? Aunt Peggy. AUNT PEGGY!" he yelled, tears streaming down his cheeks.**

**The next few minutes went by as a blur, the emergency workers coming, taking Peggy away, leaving Tony alone. The boy walked to the window, watching as the ambulance slowly drove away, the snowflakes falling silently.**

**"No..." he said, closing his eyes.**

**Tony looked to the Christmas tree, the twinkling lights, and his eyes got caught on a box wrapped in red paper.**

**The boy wiped his eyes and kneeled down, reaching under the tree. He brought the box up to his face, reading the tag.**

**"TO: ❤** **Tony ❤**

**I love you, my precious boy!**

**Don't let your dad or anyone else tell you that you can't be a hero!**

**You're my hero for putting up with everything every day.**

**Be strong.**

**Merry Christmas,**

**Love, Aunt Peggy."**

**Tony teared up at the gift, hugging it close to his chest. Howard had long gone into the workshop, and Tony stared at the small box.**

**He sighed and hugged it, taking in the lavender scent of his aunt. He then carried it up to his room.**

* * *

The image faded, leaving a room full of tearful heroes.

Steve watched and shook his head, tears streaming down his tears.

"He- She- Peggy..." he mumbled, staring at the wall. The Avengers moved closer to the soldier, trying to comfort him.

"No wonder Tony hates Christmas," Natasha said, a sad look on her face.

"Yea," Steve said, looking to his team. Each of them had been crying, their eyes red and puffy.

"We gotta get outta here." he said.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> stony if you squint.  
> also, WARNING
> 
> This chapter is about to get pretty graphic. sorry :P (not really)
> 
> hehe
> 
> enjoy!

The Avengers sat on the polished white ground, thinking.

"Ok well, we're somewhere high-tech for them to have access to his memories," Clint said, rubbing his neck.

"No, that man said I couldn't hulk out or I'd destroy Tony's brain," Bruce replied, wiping his eyes.

"So we're in Tony's head?" Natasha asked.

Bruce shook his head and looked around.

"Unless Tony's brain is nonexistent or like Jarvis, I'd say we're in his subconscious."

"Bruce, how would we even be in his subconscious?" Natasha asked, looking at the scientist with thought.

"Not sure. I haven't heard any of Tony's thoughts or anything unless it's from a memory, so he must be unconscious," he replied, rubbing his chin.

The spy nodded and looked around.

"Alright. How do we get out?" Steve asked.

Bruce shrugged. "Not sure. I'd ask the madman," he said.

The voice laughed.

"Look at you. Acting all grown up and trying to figure everything out. Adorable." he mocked.

Clint rolled his eyes and huffed.

"You think your friend is innocent correct? That his grown-up form is because of his 'broken' past? Correct?"

Nobody moved.

"I thought so. Let's see how you think of him after this," he said, a deep cackle echoing through the room as a new image appeared.

* * *

 **A dark room showed up, a metal table in the center. Howard walked around the table, breathing heavily.** **He mumbled things with a sour look on his face.**

**The man sighed and grabbed a needle full of a thick black liquid. He flicked it and the mixture swirled from his touch.**

**Howard smiled darkly and set the needle down, walking out of the room.**

**He came back down minutes later with an unconscious 11-year-old Tony dropped over his shoulder. Howard set the boy down on the table, wrapping the leather straps around his wrists and ankles.**

**Tony began to stir, making Howard work faster.**

**The boy's eyes opened slowly and he tried to move, only to be restricted by the straps.**

**"What...?" he asked groggily, looking around. A large bruise was beginning to form on his forehead, red marks on his arms.**

**Howard acted quickly, stabbing the needle into his son's arm.**

**Tony screamed in shock, looking at his arm. He began to panic, trying to pull away.**

**The liquid slowly went through his veins, visible under the skin. Tony watched in horror as the liquid traveled upwards towards his head.**

**It went up his sides, into is shoulders, up his neck, and watched his teary eyes as it traveled into the sides of his head.**

**Tony froze, eyes rolling back into his head, and began to shake. He kept shaking for a good while until he suddenly went limp.**

**Howard removed the needle from the boy's arm and began undoing the straps. He untied them one by one, a bored expression on his face.**

**Once he had undone the last strap, Tony began to stir again.**

**This time, he had his eyes closed, and sat straight up on the table.**

**Howard took a step back and watched as the boy swung his legs over to the side and hopped down.**

**Tony opened his eyes to reveal two bright crystal blue eyes, glowing like a cat's.**

**He stood straight and firm like a soldier, his face blank.**

**Howard smiled evilly.**

**The image shifted and Tony stood beside his father, eyes still crystal blue and as stiff as ever.**

**Tony held a pistol in his hand, holding it next to a man with a black eye and cuts on his face. The man was tied up to a chair and gagged.**

**"Are you going to give me my money or not?" Howard asked, his voice cold and merciless.**

**The man shivered in his seat, trying to maneuver around the gag.**

**Howard tilted his head at the man and Tony ripped off the gag, allowing the man to speak.**

**"Sir, Mr. Stark I don't- I don't have the money yet sir. If I could have a little more time..." the man said, a pitiful look on his face.**

**Howard rolled his eyes and snapped.**

**Tony stuck the gun up against the man's head, finger on the trigger.**

**"Money. Or he shoots."**

**The man stuttered, completely terrified. "I- I- I-"**

**Howard nodded, and a shot rang out, the man going limp.**

**The madman turned and walked away, leaving Tony holding a pistol and standing next to a bloody corpse.**

**"Come." he said from the darkness.**

**Tony dropped the pistol and marched into the darkness, following his father.**

* * *

The image faded, leaving the room completely silent.

No one dared to say anything. No one had anything to say.

Steve's mouth hung open, shaking his head slightly.

Clint's fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles were white.

Bruce looked green.

Thor blinked, staring at the screen.

Natasha had closed her eyes after hearing the gunshot. A tear streamed down her face.

"ILL KILL HIM!" Clint yelled, trying to charge at the screen.

Natasha and Steve held him back, trying to calm him down.

"It's alright Barton. Calm down." Natasha told him.

"No, it's not," Bruce said, standing up.

The scientist looked green, not from rage, but from sickness.

"I know. But we can't do anything about it. It's in the past." she replied.

"Guys Look," Steve said, pointing to the screen.

* * *

**Tony was 13 and wearing what looked similar to a SHIELD uniform. He had two pistols strapped to his belt, one on each side, and his eyes were a crystallized blue again.**

**The boy's expression was blank as he pulled out a knife from nowhere, slitting a man's throat when he wouldn't cooperate. He pressed his finger to his earpiece and spoke, then nodded.**

**Tony stood up and a dark smile tugged at his lips, fading as the boy shook his head slightly.**

**He blinked a couple of times and the blue color faded, making the boy sway on his feet. He held his head and fell to the concrete ground, landing with a thud. Tony blinked rapidly before blacking out.**

**When the boy woke up, he was in a dark gray cell, laying on a rough cot. Tony swallowed hard and looked around frightened. His breathing began to increase rapidly, and he looked around with a panicked look on his face.**

**"Where- where am I," he asked, swinging his legs over the cot. He looked around and stood up, walking over to the door. "Steel. 4 inches thick," he mumbled, knocking on the metal.**

**He gasped and jumped back when the door began to open, a young woman stepping through. She was tall with fiery red hair and sparkling green eyes. "Hello Tony," she said, a soft smile on her lips.**

**Tony's breathing began to slow, looking at the woman. "H-hello," he replied.**

**"Where am I?" he asked.**

**The woman sighed, clutching her clipboard to her chest. "You are at the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division," she replied.**

**"Shield?" he asked, giving her a confused look.**

**The woman thought for a moment, then smiled softly. "I never thought about it being an acronym. Sure saves time," she joked, getting a small smile from the boy.**

**"Who are you?" he asked, swallowing.**

**"My name is Georgia. And would you like to come with me on a walk?" she asked, reaching out her hand. Tony looked at it reluctantly but took it none the less.**

**The pair walked out of the cell and past two large men down the hall. They turned the corner and walked into a large room full of people in business suits. As they passed they got odd looks and heard whispers.**

**Tony sighed and followed Georgia, trying to block out the people around him.**

**Eventually, the pair reached a room marked '215' and Georgia turned to Tony. "Alright, little man. I'm going to let your- let's just call him your mentor take over from here," she said with a smile.**

**Tony gave her a confused look to which she returned with a smile. "Go on in," she said, nudging him forward.**

**The boy braced himself for anything, feeling like he could be killed at any moment.**

**When Tony opened the door, a medium sized room was revealed with a desk at the back wall, along with Captain America posters adorning the walls. Two filing cabinets were sitting against the left wall and leather couch against the right.**

**There was a crash and Tony flinched as a small voice grumbled.**

**"Hello?" Tony called out, receiving a loud thud and movement from under the desk in reply.**

**"What? What's happening?" a kid said as he poked his head out from under the desk, revealing a brunette boy, about 12 or 13 years old with combed over styled hair and a miniature suit on.**

**"Uh Hello! the bathroom is down the hall," he said, a sad look on his face.**

**Tony arched an eyebrow, shaking his head slightly.**

**"What do you mean? A lady named Georgia told me to come meet my 'mentor'? Who's that?" he asked, looking around, smiling slightly at the soldier's posters.**

**"WHAT!?! SHE DID!?!?!" the boy asked happily, a huge smile on his face. He climbed out from under the desk and walked towards Tony, holding out his hand.**

**"The name's Phil," he said, shaking Tony's hand.**

* * *

The heroes stared at the screen, mouths hanging open. 

"Is that-" 

"Yes." 

"Holy shit." 

"Yea." 

"I don't understand." 

"Of course not Thor." 

"That's him alright. I'd know that posture anywhere." Clint said, staring at the screen with a smile on his face.

He and Natasha passed knowing glances.

"Coulson." they said in sync.

"That is Son of Coul? I cannot believe he knew young Anthony." Thor boomed, smiling.

"We didn't either," Natasha said, her gaze shifting back to the screen.

* * *

**Tony smiled and shook the boy's hand, looking around. "I like your Captain America posters, by the way," he told him, looking at the walls.**

**Phil blushed and looked at his shoes, shying away from Tony.**

**"Oh. Those. Yea I love Captain America. He's my idol." he replied, looking at the posters fondly.**

**"He was mine too," Tony said, a frown replacing his smile.**

**"So you joining the organization?" Phil asked, getting back on topic.**

**Tony bit his lip. "Not sure. I don't even know why I'm here or how I got here," he replied.**

**"Oh. Well, let's go talk to uncle Fury and see." the boy said cheerfully, running to the door.**

**Tony followed close behind as they walked out the door and made their way down the long hallways, Phil walking like he was on auto-pilot.**

**Soon the boys came to two large wooden doors with a silver nametag hanging on them.**

**"COLONEL FURY" it read.**

**"Now be very quiet. Uncle Fury doesn't like loud noises, they distract him." Phil warned, opening one of the doors with a creak.**

**The boys made their way onto the navy blue carpet and through the office, coming up to a large wooden desk.**

**"Uncle Fury?" Phil asked, poking his head up above it, having to tip toe to reach.**

**A large man with jet black hair and dark skin sat lazily in the spinning chair, his eyes shut and a loud snoring escaping his mouth.**

**"Don't pretend to sleep. You don't snore when you sleep!" Phil said with a giggle, running around the desk.**

**The boy hopped into the man's lap, causing him to immediately open his eyes and laugh.**

**(Yes. Fury actually laughed.)**

**"Hey, kiddo." Fury said, a smile on his face.**

  **"Hi, uncle Fury,"**   **Phil replied, hopping down. He walked over to Tony and grabbed his hand, pulling him to the colonel.**

**"This is-" Phil paused, his cheeks turning pink. "Uhh....I never got your name," he said sheepishly, causing Tony to laugh.**

**"It's ok. The name's Tony. Tony Stark." he replied, smiling slightly.**

**Fury nodded and looked at the boy with a serious face. "Your father's Howard right?" he asked.**

**Tony nodded.**

**"Alright. Phil show Tony to his room. We don't want him to stay in a cell now do we?" he said happily, handing the boy a large key.**

**Phil nodded and motioned for Tony to follow him. The boys ran out of the room and down the hall, Tony starting to get tired.**

* * *

 

"That-"

"FURY!?!" Clint said, his face red with laughter.

"This makes no sense," Bruce said, rubbing his chin.

"What?" Steve asked, looking at the doctor.

"I mean, Tony told me he only met Fury a few years back. And Phil even earlier. Why would he lie about that?" he asked, watching as the boys ran down the halls.

"They could be repressed memories," Natasha answered. "Maybe Tony's subconscious doesn't want him to remember this stuff," she said, cracking her knuckles.

Bruce nodded.

"Makes sense. I wouldn't want to remember any of this stuff either." Steve said, holding his hands.

"But this is not a bad memory. It is joyous! Why would Anthony not want to remember the time he had met the son of Coul?" Thor asked, getting surprised glances from his team.

"Something tells me we're gonna find out," Clint said, pointing to the screen. 

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First off I wanna say thanks to everyone who has liked and followed this story so far!
> 
> Thanks for all your comments, likes and favorites!
> 
> Also, I'm SOOOO sorry for neglecting this story!!!
> 
> School and sports have got me really busy lately, but ill try to add more chapters soon.
> 
> Thanks!

 

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Tony and Phil ran down the halls, giggling like- well, kids. They soon reached a door at the end of the hall, the boys panting and gasping for air from their run. They smiled at each other as Phil slid the key Fury had given him into the lock. He turned the item and an audible click was heard, and Phil gently pushed open the door.**

**Behind the door was a large room with light blue walls and a grey carpet covering the floor. At the back wall was a large bed with red covers on it. To the left was a desk, on top of that a lamp, sketchpad, and cup of pencils. Also on the left were two large red, white, and blue beanbag chairs. To the right was a small speaker on the wall, along with a S.H.I.E.L.D. logo adorning the wall.**

**Tony smiled as he stepped inside, looking around. "This is awesome!" he said happily, looking around. He noticed in the corner sat a large circular object, hidden slightly in the darkness. "Wha-" Tony was cut off by Phil walking over to the desk and calling for him.**

**"Tony! Come look!" he said, causing the boy to forget about the object in the corner. He ran to Coulson, who had a sketchpad in hand. "Georgia told me you liked to draw so i made sure they put these in your room, just in case you decided to stay." he explained, setting the notebook back on the wooden desk.**

**Tony ran his hand over the large desk, taking in the smell of the wood. He smiled and turned to Phil. "It's nice. Thanks." he said, walking over to the bed. "So this place is all mine?" he asked, looking to the ceiling, which was littered with glow-in-the-dark sticky stars.**

**Phil nodded, smiling at Tony. "uh-huh." he replied, sitting beside him.**

**"So....What do you people do here exactly?" Tony asked, swinging his legs back and forth over the edge of the bed.**

**"Oh, um....Well it's actually pretty cool." Phil replied, standing up. "Here i'll show ya!" he said happily, pulling out a card from his pants pocket. "This is a S.H.I.E.L.D. ID card. it can get you anywhere in the base, well, depending on your rank that is." he explained, handing the card to Tony.**

**Tony turned the card over in his hands, reading the information.**

**"NAME: Phillip Coulson**

**AGE: 13**

**SEX: MALE**

**LEVEL: 3"**

**Tony turned the card over some more, thinking he may have missed something. Other than the boy's picture and a large SHIELD printed at the top, he wasn't quite sure what made the card so special.**

**Tony handed the card back to Phil, who happily shoved it back into his pocket.**

**"I think if you'll be staying with us, you might want to get one done yourself." Coulson told him, walking to the door. "Come on, i'll show you where the photo room is." The boys walked out the door and down a set of hallways, Tony thinking to himself.**

**_"So This place is some kind of organization...I wonder what they do here?"_ he thought.  
**

**Soon, the pair reached a wooden door with a brass plate above it reading 'DARK ROOM'. The boys knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer. After a few minutes, a tall man with a thin frame and white hair opened the door, a smile on his face. His eyes were old and a jade green, his skin wrinkled with age.**

**"Oh Hello Phil! Who's your friend here?" the man asked, his voice rough as he ruffled Tony's hair. This gave him flashes of Peggy, and he flinched from the touch. "Ya alright there son?" the man asked, straightening his glasses.**

**Tony snapped out of it and nodded, putting on a fake smile. "Oh...yea- I mean yes Sir." he said, fiddling with his shirt. "Uh- Penguin told me that if I was going to be staying here a while I would need an ID card." he explained, looking up at the man.**

**The old man smiled and waved the boys in, talking about how the pictures were made, what ink was supposed to be used, how long it took fro the cards to be made, etc. Tony looked around the room and saw pictures hung on the walls, ranging from wedding pictures to mugshots.**

**"Mr. Dyson takes all kinds of photos." Coulson whispered, elbowing Tony lightly as they made their way to the back of the room.**

**Tony sat down on a bench in the back as Mr. Dyson set up his camera. "Alright kiddo. Big smile!" the man said, looking through the camera. Tony smiled half-heartedly, making Mr. Dyson poke his head out from under the black covering. "Ya alright there?" he asked.**

**Tony nodded, looking to the floor. The old man rubbed his chin, watching the boy sit there, saddened. "I've got just the thing." he said, walking over to a chest. He opened the large chest and began digging through it, tossing random objects such as dolls and toys behind him. He finally found what he had been looking for, judging from the sound he made. "Here we are." he said, tossing Tony a pair of shades, along with a toy Captain America shield.**

**Tony stared at the shield and glasses. "What are these for?" he asked, smiling a little.**

**The old man smiled, ducking under the cover for his camera. "Just put em on alright?" he said, smiling to himself.**

**Tony shrugged, putting on the glasses. He smiled and looked around, instantly feeling cooler. He grabbed the shield and posed, smiling like a kid. "This is actually really fun." he said as a flash of light went off, catching him by surprise.**

**"Got it!" Mr. Dyson said, taking off the cover and smiling to the boys. "Perfect. Nice smile Tony." he said, smiling at the boys.**

**Tony blushed and unhooked the leather strap from the shield from his arm, handing it back to the man. "Thank you sir." he said, placing the shield in his hands.**

**Mr. Dyson smiled and pushed the shield away, setting the sunglasses on top of Tony's head. "No problem. And keep em. Never know, you might just need em." he said as the boys thanked him, Tony clutching the shield tightly to his chest. "The card should be ready by tomorrow! Bye boys!" the man called as the boys walked down the hall back to Tony's room.**

**"Tony?" Coulson said as they walked down the hall. "Why'd you call me penguin?" he asked.**

**The boy giggled, starting to skip. "Cause penguins are cool and cuddly, and so are you!" he said happily.**

* * *

 "I fail to see how this is a bad memory." Thor said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yea, but if Tony didn't want to remember it, it must be bad in some aspect." Natasha replied, staring at the fading image of the boys.

Steve rung his wrists, trying to think. There had to be something. Something he was missing. Something, staring him straight in the face.

The soldiers thoughts were stolen from him as Clint yelled something about a new memory. 

"Guys, Tony looks......different." the archer said, pointing to the screen where a young man, about the age of 15 stood, in a formal tuxedo with his hair slicked back. Beside him stood Howard, looking indifferent about his son being accepted into MIT, and on his other side stood Coulson, about 14 by the looks of it and very happy for his friend. 

There was a camera flash, and everything sprang to life.

* * *

**Tony blinked rapidly, rubbing his eyes so he could see. He turned to Coulson and smiled, giving him a hug. "Ill see you in a couple of months. Thanksgiving alright?" Tony whispered, pulling away from the teen.**

**Coulson smiled and nodded, straightening his black blazer, a small SHIELD logo on near the shoulder. "See you then Tones." he replied, his voice slightly deeper than in the previous memory.**

**Howard watched as his son walked over to him, letter in hand, and as he picked up his luggage. "I want you to have straight A's. You hear? STRAIGHT A's." he said into the teen's ear, making him flinch.**

**Tony nodded and grabbed his luggage, hauling it over to a taxi. Once he had put it inside the trunk, he closed it and turned back to the people who had been there to see him off. His father, Coulson, Nick Fury, some SHIELD agents he had made friends with over the year- Tony looked around for a certain face, one he knew he probably would never see again but hoped he would, but to no avail.**

**The taxi cab driver honked, shaking Tony from his thoughts. "Ya comin' kid or not?" the man asked, his Boston accent thick.**

**Tony nodded, and with one last wave, he got in the cab. He rolled down the window to say good-byes and farewells as he drove down the street, slightly nervous but really excited about going to college.**

**The scene shifted, changing to a slightly older Tony, about 17 years old, with welding goggles and gloves on. Sparks flew from the welder as he guided the tool across the metal, sealing the steel together.**

**Tony shut off the flame and lifted his goggles, taking off his gloves and setting the torch on a desk. "Done." he said, scratching the stubble on his chin. "Hey Rhodey?" he called out, taking some tongs and shoving the metal into a barrel of water. The metal hissed and steam erupted from the barrel.**

**"What is it Tony?" a familiar voice called out, although slightly higher-pitched than normal.**

**A young man with dark skin wearing blue jeans and a grey shirt walked out of the bathroom, drying his hands on a towel. He had dark brown eyes, looked about the age of 21, and had a cheerful smile on his face. "And I told you not to call me that." he said, tossing the towel into a laundry basket.**

**Tony lifted the metal out of the water and set it on the desk. He took a step back and smiled, gesturing to the metal. "This." he said proudly.**

**Rhodes looked at it for a moment before picking it up and turning it in his hands. "Tones, what is this thing?" he asked, sticking his finger through one of the holes.**

**Tony smiled and grabbed the metal, turning it upside down and holding it to his face. It looked like a mask, only covering his eyes, forehead and cheeks. "Its a mask dumb ass." The teen joked, tossing the metal back onto the desk.**

**Rhodey rolled his eyes and smiled, patting Tony on his back. "Now why would you need that?" he asked.**

**Tony set the mask down. "Cause it's going to be something amazing someday. Just you wait Rhodes. When its done, your'e gonna want one just like it." Tony boasted.**

**"Alright alright, lets take a break and go grab some lunch. Waddya say?" Rhodey asked, opening their dorm door.**

**Tony waved dismissively and stared at his blueprints some more. "No, i'm gonna keep working on this." he said, writing on the blueprint.**

**Rhodey frowned, crossing his arms. "Tones, you gotta take a break every once in a while you know?" he said, walking to the teen. "Come on. You can work when we get back." he said, tugging at him.**

**Tony pulled away. "No It's ok. I gotta get this finished before the year's over. Dad'll be back from his trip soon." he said with a frown.**

**"Why does that matter Tony?" Rhodey asked, letting him go.**

**Tony smiled. "The Stark Expo. My dad hosts it every year and I'm gonna show-"**

**his words were cut off by hie vibrating phone. Tony picked up the phone and answered it. "hello?" he asked, holding the phone close to his ear. The genius's eyes went wide, staring straight ahead as he heard the lady on the line speak.**

**"No...." he said quietly, his mouth hanging open.**

**"No. No no no no no...He- he can't be-" he said, trying to swallow the lump in his throat.**

**Tony suddenly dropped the phone, falling to the floor as he blacked out.**

**The last thing he heard was a feint "TONY!" as his head his the floor.**

* * *

 

 "What the hell just happened?!" Clint yelled, jumping up from his spot.

Steve swallowed the lump in his throat as he stared ahead, wondering what could have happened to make Tony faint.

Bruce had his hand over his mouth, his eyes tearful.

"Bruce do you know what happened?" Natasha asked, although she had a feeling she knew already.

Bruce shook his head furiously, but Natasha could tell he was hiding something.

"Tony..." Steve said quietly.

* * *

**The image was blurred, clearing to show 5 people standing around two graves. Rain poured from the sky, the people standing under umbrellas with the exception of one.**

**Tony stared at the tombstones, unable to speak. His eyes gazed at the words, reading them for the hundredth time.**

**"HOWARD STARK**

**Loving Husband, Father, Genius**

**1917-1991**

**R.I.P."**

**He blinked owlishly, staring at his father's grave. He could hear his father's voice echoing inside his head.**

**"Starks don't cry..." it said, as tears welled up in his eyes.**

**He blinked them away, taking a deep breath. It's not that Howard had died so suddenly, it that he had died without knowing what Tony could really do.**

**The teen felt a hand on his shoulder and looked to see Nick Fury, holding an odd device. "Stark. I'm gonna have to ask you a question." he said, jabbing the device into Tony's neck. A shock was sent through his body, making him black out. The last thing he saw was Coulson, tears streaming down his face.**

**When he woke up, Tony was in his dorm room, not sure of what had happened. Last thing he remembered, he had been at a funeral...**

**Tony's head pounded, making him groan in agony. "Oh shit what is that?!" he said, clutching his temples.**

**Rhodey walked in with a slip of paper in his hands, reading it silently. He looked up to see Tony awake and quickly stashed the note in his pocket. "Hey Tones." he said, smiling at him. "You alright?" he asked, sitting on the bed next to his friend.**

**"yea...My head is killing me. What happened at the funeral? I- I don't remember much..." he said with a frown.**

**"Oh uh, it was small, a couple of friends and Jarvis came, i was there, along with Co-" Rhodes shut himself up, remembering the note Fury had given him.**

**Tony gave him a confused look, but shrugged it off. "So who else was there? I remember some men but their faces are a little hazy." he said, lying back on his bed.**

**"Oh uh, just some uh, staff. Yea they were some of Howard's staff." he said, trying to cover his tracks. Fury had given him a note telling him about how he had erased Tony's memory of SHIELD and how he couldn't let him remember anything or else it wouldn't work.**

**"So uh, you should get some rest." he said, standing up and turning off the light.**

**"Alright fine." Tony said, stiffling a yawn as he pulled his covers over him. "G'night Rhodey." he said smugly.**

**"Don't call me that." Rhodey replied.**

**The lights went out and Tony stared at his ceiling as Rhodey walked out of their room, going to work on homework. He sighed, folding his hands behind his head. Tony felt a sharp pain in his head as a person in a suit flashed across his mind.**

**"Wha..." Tony said, holding his head. "Whatever." he said, closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.**

* * *

Steve sighed, watching his friend fall asleep. "So what happened to him?" he asked, looking to the agents.

Natasha bit her lip. "Looks like Fury erased his memory of SHIELD. No clue why though." she told him, leaning on the armrest of the couch.

Clint nodded in agreement. "Looks like Rhodes knows about it too." he added.

"Our little journey is nearly complete heroes." the voice said, echoing through the chamber.

The Avengers breathed a sigh of relief, ready to get out of that room.

"But first..." the voice said, putting the heroes on edge. "Let's have a little fun. Why don't we skip ahead..." he said as a new image appeared.

The heroes braced themselves for what was to come.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter we skip ahead to Tony's graduation, along with his early years of running Stark Industries.
> 
> And....the Avengers are getting sick of this mysterious guy.
> 
> Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Graduation part is inspired partly by Meteor Showers by Owl City
> 
> This chapter has a lot to do with Rhodey & Tony's friendship,  
> along with why Tony doesn't like to be handed things.
> 
> Thanks for reading guys!

 

**Tony sat in the crowd of over a thousand, dressed in his cardinal colored robe and cap. The professor at the stand was calling out names and handing diplomas, which was super boring for the 18 year old.**

**Soon the professor called Rhodey's name, and Tony clapped, happy his best buddy was able to graduate with him. Rhodey said a few words about how he would miss everyone, and then sat back down beside Tony.**

**"Nice man." Tony said, fist bumping the man as he sat next to him.**

**"Yea thanks. Hey I got something to tell ya." he said, leaning towards Tony.**

**Tony stopped him because he heard his name being called. "Just a sec Rhodes." he said, making his way down the isle. Tony climbed up the stairs where the professor guided him to the podium.**

**"Welcome everyone, students. This young man here is Tony Stark, son of Howard Stark. Tony here is the youngest person MIT has ever had the pleasure of teaching. I am happy to present him with this diploma in Mechanics and Engineering." the professor said, handing Tony a diploma with a sly smirk on his face.**

**Tony smiled and took it, then walked up to the mic for a few words. "Uh, hey everybody! You all know me, and I don't really have much to say other than-" He was cut off by an loud beeping sound.**

**Tony looked around, then to his diploma. He only had a few seconds to realize what it was before the paper exploded, launching him into the back wall. Tony heard a cracking sound come from his chest as he hit the wall, falling to the hard wooden stage. The crowd was in a panic, students, teachers, and parents flooding the exits.**

**Rhodey jumped up from his seat, running to the stage. He ran up the stairs and kneeled next to his friend. "TONY!" he yelled, picking up the genius's head. "Oh god Tony...TONY!!" he said, laying his head back down. Rhodey scanned the area for the professor, finding him trying to leave.**

**Rhodey ran off the stage, anger flooding his mind, and pounced on the man. He tackled him to the ground in a web of fists and feet. Rhodey yelled curse words at him as he pounded his fists into the man's skull, all while the man grunted.**

**"WHAT THE HELL?!?" he yelled, holding the man in a choke hold. The man gagged and coughed, Rhodey increasing the pressure of his hold. "TELL ME!!!! What did you do to my friend?!?! WHY DID YOU DO IT!?!" he yelled, the man trying to speak.**

**Rhodey loosened his grip, but still held tightly to the man's neck. "H-H-" he stuttered. "Hail...H-Hydra..." the man said before knocking a tooth loose with his tongue and crunching it between his teeth.**

**Rhodey sighed as the man's eyes rolled back into his head and he went limp. He then put his head against the man's chest and listened to the fading heartbeat. "Hydra." he said, standing up. Rhodey then remembered his friend he left on the stage.**

**He rushed back up the stairs to find ambulance workers putting Tony on a stretcher, his body covered in scorch marks and cuts. His chest looked uneven, telling Rhodey he had broken some ribs.**

**"Tony!?" he yelled, running to his friend as they carried him out of the large stadium. "Tony speak to me!" he said, tears welling up in his eyes. An ambulance worker pulled him to the side as they loaded his friend into the truck.**

**"Sir, is that your friend?" he asked. Rhodey nodded, looking back to the truck where his best friend lay. "Well then I must inform you that he has several broken ribs from what we can tell, along with 3rd degree burns across his body. His skull had a fracture in it, and he is currently in critical condition." the man told him, looking to a clipboard.**

**"Can I go with him?" Rhodey asked, looking back to the truck. "Please, he's my best friend." he pleaded, hoping the large man would allow him to come with.**

**The ambulance work sighed then nodded, and Rhodey dashed to the truck, climbing in and sitting next to Tony. "It's alright Tones." he whispered, moving his scorched hair out of his face.**

**Tony whimpered, and had his eyes barely open. he tried to speak, coughing and hacking in the process. "It's alright Tones. I'm staying right here with ya." he said, trying to comfort him.**

**The doors to the truck closed and the sirens went on, the truck rushing down the busy streets of New York.**

* * *

"I- I- I-" Clint stuttered, staring in horror at the screen.

Steve was fuming, gritting his teeth so hard he thought they'd break. Of course it had been Hydra. He should have known.

"Hey everyone just calm down alright?" Bruce said, trying to keep level-headed himself. 

"Yea, we know Tony survived. But, what happened to the burn marks?" Natasha asked, trying to comfort Steve as she spoke.

"Not sure." Bruce said, rubbing his chin. 

The voice cackled through the invisible speakers. "HAHAHAHA!! Give it up heroes. Your Tony is nothing more than a pity case. Always has been." the voice said.

"How would you know?" Natasha asked. 

"It's pretty obvious isn't it? Abusive father, no mother, no friends, lost his best childhood friend, lost his favorite relative, father thinks he's worthless, he'd betray you all in a second, the list goes on and on." it said, making Steve grit his teeth again.

"YOU TAKE THAT BACK!" he yelled, standing up. "Tony is one of the most loyal, most caring, trustworthy people I know!!! He has his secrets yes, but WE ALL DO!!!! You are a sick man for saying he is a pity case!" he yelled, his knuckled turning white from clenching them so hard.

The room went silent, his team staring at him.

"I- uh, I'm sorry." Steve said, sitting back down.

"Don't be." Natasha told him.

"We all think that way about him. I know we do." Bruce said, looking around.

"Yea. No matter how annoying he is, he'd never betray us." Clint added.

"Oh really?" the voice said slowly.

The heroes exchanged looks of concern.

"Look comrades." Thor said, pointing to the screen.

* * *

  **Tony was laying in a hospital bed, his face and arms covered in large painful-looking burn marks. He breathed softly, his mouth open and a whistling sound escaping it as he breathed.**

**The door to his room creaked open, revealing Rhodey and Coulson. They walked in, Coulson's eyes red and puffy. "You sure he's asleep?" Coulson asked, looking to Tony.**

**"Positive. And your uh, memory stuff doesn't need to be slipped into his coffee anymore. The doctor said his head would be fine, he just wouldn't remember anyone from a long time ago. He told me he probably wouldn't remember much about his parents, only stuff that really made an impact." Rhodes explained, laying some flowers next  to the genius's bed.**

**"The guy was really strange. looked like he was in a hurry. He didn't even have a coat on." Rhodes said.**

**"What did he have on if he didn't have on a doctor's coat?" Coulson asked, curiosity plain on his face.**

**"Really weird attire. He had converse, a blue pinstripe suit, and a trench-coat. He looked ridiculous." he explained, walking to the bed.**

**"Weird." Coulson replied.**

**Coulson gave the man a sad look, and took a seat next to the genius. "He's a really good friend huh." he said slowly, leaning on the arm rest.**

**Rhodey frowned and sat on the other side of the bed, looking to Tony. "Yea. Stubborn at times but-"**

**"Always faithful." Coulson finished for him.**

**Rhodey nodded. "Yea." he said, standing back up. "I'm gonna go find the doctor. Maybe he's still around." he said, slipping out of the room.**

**Coulson sat next to the genius, moving his hair out of his face. "I'm sorry Tony. I should have known. I was stupid." he said, tears welling up in his eyes. They streamed down his face, leaving warm streams running down his cheeks. Phil grabbed Tony's hand, careful not to touch the burn marks, and placed something in it.**

**"When you wake up, I hope you'll use this. It may make things easier." he said quietly, standing up and wiping his eyes. He took in a shaky breath and slipped out of the room.**

**Tony soon opened his eyes, weakly looking around the room. He breathed softly, his chest and skin aching. He looked to his hands, and they were a mixture of red and black splotches, and they hurt like crazy.**

**Tony felt something in his hand, and lifted his arm up to his face, it burning and sending pain radiating throughout his body in the process. He looked at the item in his hand, no clue how it got there or what exactly it was.**

**The lettering was relatively small, but Tony had good vision. He read the bottle, muttering to himself.**

**"S.H.I.E.L.D ISSUE Burn Regeneration Formula**

**Directions: Insert into bloodstream or IV if needed and allow to flow throughout body.**

**EST Time: 11 Months**

**Will completely clear any burn marks on any part of body without pain caused to the patient. Will take 11+ months to completely erase all burn evidence.**

**NOTE - side effects may include: Nausea, suicidal thoughts, migraines, insomnia, fatigue, hair-loss"**

**Tony stopped reading after that. No way he was gonna lose his hair over this. He tossed the bottle, again with much pain, onto his bedside table. Rhodey then walked in, gasping when he saw that Tony was awake.**

**Behind him a tall man with chestnut spiky brown hair in a pinstripe suit and trench-coat walked in, along with a blonde girl wearing a leather jacket. Tony smiled a little at the girl, the man glaring at him.**

**"Hello I'm the doctor." he said, smiling at Tony. The blonde elbowed him, making him rub his side. Tony noticed the man had a scottish accent, which was really interesting.**

**Tony coughed, trying to talk. "T-T-Tony.." he said with a struggle, smiling weakly at the man.**

**The doctor seemed to take pity on him, digging around in his coat pockets. Tony watched the man as Rhodey sat down in a chair next to his bed.**

**They watched as the man pulled out a small odd-looking device with a small blue orb at the top. The man pushed a button on it and aimed it at Tony, the device emitted a high-pitched noise as the doctor moved it up and down.**

**The doctor when looked at the device and put it away. "Alright your gonna be fine. Some burns and broken bones, but you'll survive." he said simply, before grabbing the girl's hand.**

**"Come along Rose. We've got work to do." he said, the blonde smiling at Tony before following him out.**

**"He was weird." Rhodey said, looking back to his friend.**

**Tony nodded in agreement, already thinking of a way to cover up the scars that would come from this. "I-" he coughed, closing his eyes in pain. "S-Sorry.." he said weakly.**

**"You have nothing to be sorry for bro." Rhodey replied, smiling at his friend. "Hey I have something to tell ya that I didn't get a chance to at graduation." he started, scooting closer to the bed.**

**Tony looked at him and raised a scarred eyebrow, his face looking strange with the various dark burn marks and cuts.**

**"I'm uh, I was thinking about going into the military, so you know, I would be able to know how to stop people from hurting ya. I guess that little attack kind of sealed the deal." he joked, smiling to himself.**

**Tony nodded, not wanting to speak.**

**"Alright, yea cool. I'm- I'll go- I'm gonna give ya time to rest. I'll see ya tomorrow." Rhodes said, standing up.**

**Tony watched as the man walked out of the room, his leather jacket resting on his arm. He smiled inwardly, glad to have a friend who cared so much for him. He was gonna have to repay him someday.**

* * *

The image faded and left a room full of confused, angry, and saddened heroes.

"I can't believe Tony had such a bad accident." Natasha said, trying to recall anything from his records mentioning it.

"Yea, but we STILL don't know why he doesn't have the scars from it." Bruce said, rubbing his chin.

"We may never know Banner." Clint replied, crossing his arms.

"Guys, this is stuff we should have known about. Tony would have told us. At least some of it right?" Steve said, looking to his friends.

"Then why hasn't he?" Thor asked, biting his lip.

Nobody answered.

* * *

**The image appeared with a slightly older Tony, about 20 by the looks of it, standing in front of his mirror and applying what looked like makeup to his scars. The makeup looked sparkly as Tony rubbed it in, but it soon changed his skin to look completely scar-free.**

**He smiled and turned his arm around, looking at it with a smile. "Rhodey! Come look! I got the digital Stark makeup to work!" he said happily, as a man wearing a military uniform walked in.**

**"That's great Tony, but Obidiah is waiting. We gotta go." he said sadly, looking at Tony apply more make-up to his other arm.**

**Tony sighed. "Alright alright. Lets go see Obi. Hey, I get to take over the company in a few days..." he said, nudging Rhodey as they walked.**

**Rhodes chuckled and placed his military cap on his head as they walked out of the base. "Yea yea, I know Tones." he said as they came up to a blonde-haired lady with a clipboard.**

**She tried handing it to Tony but he reacted instantly, flinching away and cowering behind Rhodes. His chest moved up and down rapidly, moving out from behind the man. "S-sorry. I- I just don't like to be handed things." he said, watching as Rhodey took the clipboard then handed to him.**

**The lady smiled politely and took the clipboard after he signed it, walking out into the bright sun.**

**"It's been nearly two years Tones." Rhodey said, clapping him on the back as they approached Obidiah.**

**"I know but you don't just get over something like that Rhodey." Tony replied, shaking hands with Stane.**

**"Tony! My favorite Stark. Lets get you to New York huh?" Obi said happily, as they climbed up the Jet stairs. "Thank you colonel. You can leave now." Obi said, walking into the jet.**

**Rhodey sighed and walked away from the jet, Tony sitting inside with a frown on his face. "Bye Rhodey..." he said quietly, watching his friend leave.**

**Tony sat in his chair as the plane engine rumbled, and soon took off. He watched as they soared into the clouds, leaving the air base behind. He watched as the clouds rolled by, smiling as he spotted shapes.**

**"Tony." Obie said, snapping Tony from his daydreaming.**

**"Hmm?" he mumbled, turning to the older man. "What's up Obie?" he asked, turning in his chair to face him.**

**"Are you sure you want to take on the company? It's a huge responsibility." Obie warned, his face stern.**

**Tony smiled. 'Good Ol' Obie. Always lookin' out for me.' he thought. "Yea, i'm sure. It'd make dad proud to know i'm continuing his-" Tony froze, remembering his dad's face and how he never seemed to smile around him.**

**Obediah sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Alright, if your'e sure." he said.**

**Tony smirked and went back to staring at the clouds, soon drifting off to sleep.**

* * *

"He has no idea..." Bruce said with a sigh.

Natasha shook her head. "He honestly thinks Stane was there to help him." she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. She had moved back to the couch to sit beside Clint, who had been staring at the screen intently.

 "If this trend continues, i have a feeling I know what's coming up." Clint said, rubbing his eyes.

There was an eerie silence that fell amongst the group, they all knew what was coming, but no one dared to say it. It was almost like somehow if they mentioned it a demon may come after them or something.

The heroes exchanged glances, the air heavy with fear.

"Oh Heroooooooes...." the voice sang through the speakers, pushing the team closer to the edge. "I can see that your'e tense. Fun!" the voice said cheerfully.

Steve was gripping the couch tightly, afraid he might tear the leather.

"Don't worry we're almost done here!" it sang again, cutting off.

"Are we?" Bruce asked, looking around.

"I hope so." Natasha replied, sitting back into the couch.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony's early years of running the company, along with the beginning of Afghanistan.
> 
> Also, SOOOO sorry for the delay guys! I kinda lost interest in this story, and REALLY neglected it.  
> :3

The Avengers sat in the white room, tense and shaking. They had no clue what would be shown, more horrors from Tony's childhood they guessed. 

"We all having fun? Anyone want refreshments?" the voice asked, way too happy for his own good.

Thor, Natasha, and Clint had to hold Steve down so he wouldn't try attacking the walls. 

"Good..." the voice cackled. 

* * *

**Tony stood on a stage in a jet black suit, a bright red tie wrapped around his neck as he was presented with a piece of paper. He took it nervously and gripped it tight as the announcer spoke of the legend of Howard Stark, and how Tony would carry on the legacy. Tony thanked the man and stepped up to the podium, ready to give a speech.**

**"Hey everyone, thanks. Really, thank you. I'm sure if pop was here he'd be really p-" Tony froze, bad memories filling his head. "p- p-" he stammered, fractions of memories coming back to him, flooding his mind. Beatings that would leave permanent marks, trips to the hospital, how his mom and Jarvis and Peggy would- the thoughts were pulled from his head by Obidiah walking up quickly and grabbing his shoulders.**

**"Proud, folks, Tony here means proud." he said, moving the man away from the mic. "Bit of stage fright is all, happens to the best of us." Obie said, continuing on to talk about what an honor for Tony it must be. The genius was led off stage by a large man, and given a bottle of water.**

**Rhodey came running up to him, worry present on his face. "Hey man, what happened up there?" he asked, pulling the man in for a hug.**

**"Rhodey..." Tony replied, smiling sadly. "I- I don't know, I just, thought of what Howard really would have thought and I froze." he explained, rubbing the back of his neck. Rhodey nodded, patting him on the back. "Well congrats, if that makes it any better." he said with a chuckle.**

**Tony laughed, shaking his head. "Yea....yea. Hey, lets go to the mansion. I'm dying for some alone time." he said, tossing the paper to Rhodey.**

**"Whoa, Tony Stark? THE Tony Stark doesn't want to be in the spotlight? Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?" he joked, nudging the billionaire.**

**"Yea, yea yea, yuck it up. Lets just go home." Tony said, walking out of the building where a limo was waiting for them. The pair hopped inside just as people began to exit the building, and before reporters could swarm the car.**

**The limo pulled out into the busy New York traffic, as horns honked and people talked, simple city sounds. Tony stared out the window, trying to shake the memories that had come to him from his head. They were so vivid, almost like he was reliving them all over again. He shuttered, flinching when he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.**

**"Tony?" Rhodey asked, giving him a concerned smile. "You alright?" he asked. Tony nodded, not saying anything. Rhodey squeezed tighter, looking at him sternly. "You're lying." the soldier replied.**

**Tears welled up in the genius's eyes, his whole frame shaking as he collapsed into his friend, sobbing. Rhodey wrapped him in a hug, embracing the man as he cried. "I know. It's gonna be ok, Tones. It'll be alright." he whispered, patting the billionaire's back. "I promise you, I won't let anything happen to you." Rhodey told him, a determined look on his face.**

**He meant what he said.**

* * *

**The image shifted to Tony shaving his face, making sure his signature goatee was perfect. "There." he said to himself, smiling as he heard a knock at the door. "Come in." he said, setting the dirty towel in the sink.**

**A young lady with bright red hair walked in holding a clipboard as well as a cup of steaming coffee. "Hello, Mr. Stark." she said with a smile.**

**"Hey Pep." Tony replied, happily taking the coffee mug. "What last minute stuff you got before I head off?" he asked, walking around her to peer at her clipboard. Pepper smiled and smacked him gently with her pen, reading over the papers.**

**"Just some documents asking if you want to partner with these companies." she replied, licking her finger and flipping through pages. She pulled out a paper and held it out to him, along with a pen. "-This one, however, is from Shield." she told him, pointing to the small eagle logo at the top corner of the paper.** **"They're asking if you have any tech that you would be interested in selling to them." Pepper said, handing him the clipboard.**

**"Ah, them and everyone else." he said, setting the clipboard down on his desk. "You know Pep, we could do so much more with this company. What if we expanded? Looked into more things to manufacture?" he asked, folding his arms over his chest as he stared out the window of the airport office.**

**Just then, another knock came on the door. "Come in!" Tony called, the door opening to reveal a man in a suit.** **"Mr. Stark, we're ready for you." he said, holding his military cap in his hands.** **The genius nodded and smiled at Pepper, before walking out of the room. "See you when I get back." he said as the door shut. Tony was lead out of the airport and onto the runway, where a private jet was waiting for him. Rhodey stood by the stairs leading to the jet, waiting for him.**

**"Hey Tony. You ready to go?" his friend asked as cameras flashed at them. Tony nodded and waved to the reporters, walking into the plane.**

**It was a 5 hour flight before they landed in a hot dessert. Dust whirled around Tony as the winds blew, making him cough. "Damn." he said, walking over to an army van. "These our rides?" he asked as the door was opened.**

**"Yes sir." a soldier said as she walked over, a smile on her face. "Lieutenant Ramirez. Nice to meet you Mr. Stark." the woman said, gesturing for him to get in the van. "These two numbskulls are Jimmy and Douglas." the lieutenant said as Tony sat with his briefcase in his lap, closing the door behind him.**

**The genius took notice of their appearances, Jimmy was a tall man with a cheeky face and bright blue eyes. His arms and legs were fairly muscular, his hair a chocolaty brown. He couldn't have been any older than 23. Douglas on the other hand was a short man with a thin face and bony arms. He held his rifle as if it were his blood line, his skin darkened form the desert sun, making it a tannish brown that caught the light and seemed to change color. His eyes were a stormy grey and his face was worm with age, bags evident under his eyes and wrinkles around his brow and mouth. Tony guessed he was a seasoned soldier, in his mid 40's. Tony smiled at the men as he climbed in. Ramirez then climbed into the front seat, gun in her lap as she shut her door.**

**Soon they were off, driving down the dusty path and Tony struck up a conversation with the soldiers. He opened his briefcase and pulled out a scotch from the portable mixer, his own invention. Only a few minutes of talking and the genius had learned a lot about these guys. All went silent after an order came in through the radio. Apparently they weren't supposed to be making friends and were only there on business.**

**"I feel like your driving me to court martial." Tony finally said, trying to lighten the mood after so much silence. "This is crazy- What did I do? I feel like your going to pull over and snuff me." he told them, nudging the man beside him. "What, your not allowed to talk now? Hey, Jimmy!"**

**"You can talk, sir." the soldier said solemnly, not wanting to get in trouble with his boss.**

**"Oh I see, so it's personal." Tony joked.**

**Jimmy smiled slightly, looking at the genius.**

**"No, you intimidate them." Ramirez said with a smirk, getting jokingly annoyed looks from the men.**

**"Good god, your'e a woman! I honestly, couldn't have called that. We've been in her for what, half an hour an I didn't notice? I mean, I would apologize but isnt that what we're going for here? I thought of you as a soldier first." Tony said with a chuckle.**

**"I'm an airman." Ramirez replied with a smile.**

**"Well, now I'm having a hard time not looking at you. Is that weird?" he asked, getting a laugh from the soldiers.**

**Eventually they arrived at the sight, where the Jericho demonstration had been set up. Tony climbed out of the van and made his way over to the 'stage' as soldiers and officials gathered around.**

**"Hello everyone, and welcome." Tony started, clearing his throat.** **"They say that the best weapon is the one you never have to fire. I respectfully disagree. I prefer the weapon you only have to fire once. That's how Da-Howard did it, that's how America does it, and it's worked out pretty well so far." he said, gesturing with his hands.** **"I present to you the newest in Stark Industries' Freedom line. Find an excuse to let one of these off the chain, and I personally guarantee, the bad guys won't even wanna come out of their caves. Ladies and gentlemen, for your consideration... the Jericho." Tony flicked his wrists and the missile went off, exploding into the mountains behind and sending a wave of dust towards them.**

**Soldiers clapped and the few reporters there snapped some photos as Tony stepped down. He then walked over to the larger suitcase of the alcohol dispenser and grabbed a glass, joking about how they came free with every million dollar purchase.**

**"Thank you Mister Stark, we really appreciate this." a soldier told him, tony replying with a smile. When he was tired of waiting around and listening to drunk soldiers babble, he climbed into a jeep with some sober ones. The billionaire smiled inwardly when he saw rhodey running over to the door.**

**"Hey man, you sure you don't wanna ride with me?" he asked. Tony smirked and shook his head, knowing Rhodey would take away his alcohol.**

**"No, this is the fun-vee. the humdrum-vee is back there." he told the man with a laugh, pointing to the jeep behind them. Rhodey shook his head and smiled, walking to the jeep behind them. "Alright, lets do this!" Tony said enthusiastically, eager to get back to the airport.**

**As they set out, Tony felt a weight in his chest, as if something wasn't right. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he had a bad feeling that he couldn't squash. He made small chat with the soldiers in the van, simple conversations. One of the soldiers, Jimmy, he remembered his name being, smiled as he pulled out a camera. "Mind if i get a picture with you?" he asked, a shy smile on his face. Tony smirked and nodded, setting down his glass and smiling. Jimmy put up a peace sign and Tony decided to mess with him.**

**"Please, no gang signs." he said sternly, and the young man's smile disappeared as he put his hand down. "Nah, i'm just kidding." he said, nudging the man. "Yea, throw it up! Peace, i love peace. I'd be out of a job without peace." he babbled, smiling as the soldier in the passenger fumbled with the camera.**

**"No you gotta press the red button. Don't mess with the settings just-"**

  **That was the last thing Jimmy could say before the tank was bombarded with bullets. Tony flinched as he watched the young man jump into action, grabbing his gun and opening the door. "STAY HERE!" he yelled, closing the door. Tony heard the spray of bullets and watched in horror as Jimmy fell to the ground.**

**The genius shook his head, not wanting to believe it. He opened the door and stared at the body, the young, 20-something-year-old man who had given his life for him. Tony ran and ducked behind a rock as he saw a bomb blow up. He pulled out his phone and tried dialing for Rhodey, when the unthinkable happened.**

**There was a 'THUNK' beside him in the sand, and Tony looked over to see a bomb, with the label "STARK INDUSTRIES" plastered to the side. "No-" was all he could get out before it exploded. Tony was thrown back, landing on his back. His vision was blurred, and he stared at his chest, which was growing increasingly red by the second. The billionaire ripped open his suit jacket and nearly fainted when he touched his hand to the blood on his chest.**

**Then, he lost consciousness.**

* * *

 

To Be Continued~


	9. ~AUTHOR'S NOTE~

Hey Guys! First off, a couple of notes before you start this next chapter.

~

1\. You may notice that this chapter may be a bit more-- how do I put it.... eloquently worded, than my previous chapters. The main reason for that is that I have taken a LOOOOONG break from this story, and in the meantime, HOPEFULLY  have bettered my writing skills. 

~

2\. I will try to continue updates more regularly from now on, that being said I still have no clue how long this series is going to go on for. It could be for 3 more chapters, it could be for 30 more chapters, who knows. So, please just be patient with me, (I mean if you're still following this story you are as patient as they come) and we'll get along just fine.

~

3\. I Do Not Have An Editor. So yes, I KNOW there are mistakes, but the editor I DID have, i havent talked to in nearly a year, so i'm not going to worry about it. If you see a mistake, just send me a message, DONT COMMENT ABOUT IT, and I will try to fix it. Most of the time, however, a small mistake will NOT take you out of the story, so just forget about it and move on. 

~

4\. I will NOT be going back and editing any chapters. IM TOO LAZY FOR THAT. 

~

5\. THANK YOU GUYS! I love writing this, and I honestly will try to write more, but I have a LOT on my plate. I'm a Junior in high school, so that means this year is one of the hardest, as well as one where we have the most work. But- Thank you guys nonetheless!

~

I hope you will stick to the story, and I will try to stick to it with you.

 

 


	10. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 11-26-15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy early Thanksgiving!  
> (to those who celebrate it)  
> ~  
> Alright, so as promised, this chapter is longer than the previous one, so enjoy!  
> ~  
> Starting now, I'm going to be making chapters longer and giving them more detail, but that being said they may take longer to complete and post. But- since I started this story with basically an idea and no idea how to execute it, I'll have to think these things out as I go, or take the time to set up a plan for how the story is going to go (which I have done for the next 1 or 2 chapters) and risk waiting a long time to post them.  
> ~  
> Anyways, I just wanted to tell you guys that I am back and I have got my writing mojo back, so I'm ready to continue this and work on it for as long as i see fit!  
> ~  
> Thanks, and Enjoy!

"TONY!!!" was all that could be heard as the bomb exploded, sending Tony back in a shower of fire and sharp metal. The room went darker with each piece of shrapnel that dug itself into the billionaire's flesh, as the image of Tony began losing consciousness. 

Steve sat dumbfounded on the couch, unable to speak no matter how much Natasha and Bruce tried to calm him down. The soldier gripped the chair tightly, so tight in fact he feared he made rip the leather. "Tony...He never said that a bomb went off right beside him. I always thought the shrapnel was from the Ten Rings." he muttered, just loud enough for the people beside him to hear. Bruce glanced at Natasha, giving her a worried look. 

"Steve, this is all in the past, remember? Tony's alright now. He's ok." Natasha said, rubbing his shoulder. Steve was always like this when he saw one of his teammates get injured, no matter how small it was. "Yea, and the bastard's as cocky as ever. It didn't dent his spirit, just his chest." Clint tried to say lightly, getting no response. 

The heroes looked up when the lights came back on, along with a new image, this one of a dark cave filled with various machines and an older man standing at a cauldron-like tub, washing his hands. 

"Is that-" Clint said, furrowing his brow as he glanced at Natasha. She nodded, letting go of Steve's shoulder. 

"That's Yinsen." 

 

* * *

 

**Tony sat up with a splitting headache, tubes in his nose running down his throat, and something heavy weighing down on his chest. The lights were bright and at first he thought he may be in a hospital. Then, the smell of mildew and ash filled his nose, making him cough and sputter, and he knew he was anywhere but.**

**The billionaire sat up with some difficulty, the weight on his chest making it hard to breathe. He grunted, pulling the tube out of his throat and coughing along the way. When he finally jerked the end out, he took a deep breath, causing a sharp pain in his ribs. The man at the sink looked back and set down his towel, walking over to help Tony sit up. "Be careful..." he said softly, as if talking to a child.**

**Tony tried to speak but couldn't, his throat suddenly feeling very dry. The man nodded and walked back to the sink, turning on the faucet and pouring Tony a glass of water. "Drink this, you need it." he said, handing the genius the cup.**

**He drank the water greedily, some running down his chest and soaking into the bandages that wrapped his chest. Tony looked down and noticed something sticking out of the center, dropping the cup as his eyes went wide. The cup fell to the ground with a CLANK, getting the attention of the man.**

**"Ah. I see you've noticed." the man said, folding his hands as he watched Tony half-hazardly ripped open the gauze, revealing a car battery hooked up to a device embedded his chest. The man watched as Tony touched it, reaching out his hand to stop him. "Please. That could damage the device, and kill you in the process." he said calmly, straightening his round glasses.**

**"Who--" Tony coughed, his throat still sore from the tubes. "Who...are' y-you..." he asked, eyeing the man up and down. Now that he looked, he noticed that the doctor, which he assumed, (or hoped) he was, was a tall man, about 5'11" with a long face and stubble covering his chin. He had hazel eyes and was balding, all the makings of an evil scientist, and yet, his voice was calm, His hands were steady, and he had a sense of knowledge about him that earned Tony's respect, even though they were strangers.**

**The man held out his hand, helping Tony to sit up completely. "My name is Ho Yinsen, Mr. Stark. You may not remember me, but we met a while back at the Stark Expo, 1999 was it?" he said to himself, rubbing his chin in thought.**

**"Ah, doesn't matter. Here, let me see your bandages." he said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, and bending down to look at Tony's chest. "Well, I can't say you won't have a scar, that is, if you get out of here." he said calmly, as if talking about the weather.**

**Tony frowned, following the wires that led out of the device and into what looked like- no, that was a car battery. Tony squinted at the words, a language he didn't know, (which was rare, since he knew a LOT of languages) and tried to make sense of it. "It has a month's worth of battery left in it. When that's drained, that device will die." Yinsen told him, grabbing his attention. "And so will you."**

**The billionaire blinked, trying to register the words he'd been told. "So- my heart is running on this car battery?" he asked, making sure he understood. The man- Yinsen, nodded, turning and grabbing some blueprints off a table. "They are going to be here soon. They know who you are, and obviously what you do." Yinsen said, unrolling the blueprint.**

**The paper displayed a missile, Tony's newest one to be exact, The Jericho. Yinsen rolled up the paper at the sound of someone slamming their fist on metal, setting it back on the table from which he grabbed it. "Stand up." he said quickly, grabbing Tony's arm to make him stand.**

**Several men entered the room, all dressed in a dark colors varying from grey to green. All had their faces covered, except for one. A larger man with a black beard stepped forward, cigar poking out of his yellowed teeth. He chuckled at Tony, looking him up and down as if he were a prize he had won.** **“Stark.” he said, taking out the cigar to flick ash on the cave floor. He began to speak, Yinsen stepping in to translate his words to English.**

**"He wants you to build him weapons. He says, that if you refuse, they will torture them out of you." Yinsen said, as two guard stood beside him, guns set in their arms menacingly.**

**"He says, you will build the Jericho, and you will make plenty of them for him to use against his enemies." as this was recited, a guard picked up the blueprint Yinsen had been holding, unrolling it to show Tony. The big 'STARK INDUSTRIES' logo was stamped on the bottom, making Tony furrow his brow.**

**How did that get there...?**

**"You will build these weapons, by the end of the month, or you will die." Yinsen said as the guard threw the paper back on the table, the boss motioning for them to follow him out. Tony watched as the men left, finding it hard to breathe again.**

 

* * *

 

**The image shifted, showing Tony hammering on metal, then plunging it into smoldering water. Steam rose up, and Tony waved it away with his gloved hands. The billionaire lifted the metal out of the water with tongs, revealing a metal ring.**

**He set the ring down on the table, then began packing it with an orange-ish clay. Tony started pouring another shiny, silver liquid inside of the ring, waiting a bit and then grabbing it with a pair of tweezers as Yinsen watched.**

**Then, the image showed the genius moving pieces into place, welding them together with a skilled hand as light streamed in through the crack under the door. Yinsen lay asleep on some bags of who knows what as Tony welded, finally setting the machine down and picking up the object he'd been working on.**

**Tony blew at the object, gleaming with pride as he connected wires within it, smiling as it lit up.**

**Again, the image shifted, this time showing Tony with a new device in his chest, glowing a feint blue. There were bright red gashes on his arm, jagged tears in his flesh that looked like they were from a saw. Burns covered his shoulder blades, made from fire-pokers and branders. He and Yinsen stood over a table, pointing and talking about various blueprints. Tony set three of them on top of each other, which created what looked like a suit of armor. Yinsen's eyes widened, as did Tony's smirk. "How will you build it?" he older man asked.**

**"I've already started." The younger whispered, spreading the papers again. "Two days, Yinsen. Then we're free." he said quietly, looking towards the doorway.** **"That's pushing your deadline, Tony. And, that suit could pose a risk." Yinsen replied, looking to the object embedded in Tony's chest. "Is that-" he gestured, "-going to be able to power this suit?"**

**Tony hadn't thought of this, but nodded anyways. "Of course. Now help me with the wiring on the suit. I have to be able to move in it." he said quietly, leading the older man to a part of the shop that was shielded from the cameras.**

**Together the pair worked tirelessly, welding and connecting various pieces of the suit, but never fully assembling it in case the guards ever got suspicious. When the deadline came, Tony worked like a madman to get the final piece put together. "Yinsen, you ready?" he asked, stepping into the armored boots.**

**The scientist nodded, helping to put on the chest plate and back, while Tony put on the bottoms. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, followed by angry shouts. The pair had taken this precaution, however, and barricaded the door with various things from around the cave. Yinsen put on Tony's arm guards, looking behind him as the door began to shake.**

**"I'll buy you time." he said, handing the genius the helmet and picking up a make-shift flamethrower. Tony reached to grab him, but Yinsen was already out of reach. "Yinsen, NO!" Tony yelled, looking to the computer monitor which read '67%'. "Come on, come on...." he said, putting on his helmet. The loading bar steadily grew as gunshots rang out through the cave walls, followed by the FWOOM of fire escaping Yinsen's weapon.**

**Finally, the bar loaded, reaching '100%' as Tony unhooked the wires, flicking his head to make the mask fall into place. "I'm coming Yinsen!!" he yelled, charging through the doors and into the hallway, where a wall of guards stood facing the older man, his gun held tightly in his hands.**

**Tony watched in horror as he was cut down, bullets spraying him until he fell to the ground. Rage built up in the billionaire, turning his attention to the half a dozen men in front of him. They began to shoot, the bullets bouncing off the metal, leaving not even a dent. "My turn." Tony said, switching on the guns he had made in the suit. In an instant the men fell to the ground, guns still ready to fire.**

**Yinsen lay near Tony's feet, breathing heavily. "Yinsen, no no no..." Tony said, kneeling beside the man. Distant yelling could be heard, but Tony didn't care at the moment. "Come on Yinsen, we gotta get out of here..." he said, turning him over to look at his face.**

**"You n-need to go." he said quietly, crimson liquid staining his shirt. "Don't..." he coughed, spitting out blood. "Don't waste your life..." he said weakly. Tony stared at him as he drew his last breath, then went limp.**

**Tony stood, his jaw set. "I won't, Yinsen. I promise." he said, turning and running down the hall.**  

**Tony ran as fast as his legs could carry him, darting around corners and taking out any guard he saw. The armor clanked as he ran, and it was killer on his back, but he kept running.**

**Finally, the entrance was in sight, and Tony picked up speed. Men fired bullets at him, beginning to dent the metal. The billionaire fired bullets right back, bringing most of them down. He made a break for the light, running out into the Desert sun.**

**The light was bright, blinding him for a minute as he tried to regain his bearings. The heat of the sun made the start to burn his skin, Tony's flesh turning bright red and blistering within minutes. When he could finally see again, Tony looked around to see his own weapons surrounding him. Everywhere he turned, crates marked 'STARK INDUSTRIES' lined the tables, covered from the sun by cloth roofs.**

**With his teeth clenched, Tony switched on the weapon he had been saving. Fire exploded out of the flamethrowers on his arms, torching the huts and stands that were lined with his family name. He knew what would happen if he did this, but rage took over reason, and it felt _so good_ to see them burn. **

**Obviously, Tony knew what would happen next. He knew the risk. He shut his eyes, waiting for what was to come.**

**Then, the area around him exploded.**

 

* * *

 

  **Tony expected to be engulfed in flames, to go down with the weapons. Instead, he was launched into the air, soaring over the entire site. He took this chance to activate the boosters he had put in, and they propelled him away, into the desert terrain.**

**Suddenly, they cut off, and Tony was sent into free-fall, kicking and waving his arms in fear. He crashed into the sand below in a mess of metal and cloth, sending him tumbling out of the wreckage and into the burning sand.**

**It took him a moment, but he was finally able to open his eyes. In the distance, smoke billowed up from the mountain, making it look like a volcano. Tony pushed himself up off of the sand, swaying a bit before regaining his balance. He tore off his sleeve, which was stuck to his skin with dried blood. He wrapped it around his head, remembering that was what he needed to keep cool.**

**Then, he started walking, leaving the metal scraps buried in the sand. Tony walked for what felt like hours, trudging until he heard what he thought were helicopter blades. No...that couldn't be." he thought, continuing to walk. Then they got louder. And louder. And Louder.**

**When they became really loud Tony looked up, using his hand to cover his eyes. Piercing through the endless blue was a grey helicopter, blades whirring and people shouting. Tony would have smiled, if he wasn't so tired. He fell to his knees right there, holding up his hand to try and touch the flying vehicle. As it descended, Tony felt his vision begin to go spotted.**

**He heard a familiar voice, one full of panic, but one that he missed all the same. "Rhod..." he said as he collapsed in the sand, Rhodey sliding to catch him in his arms. "Tony, oh god its really you..." the soldier said, holding the billionaire close to his chest. "We all thought you were dead..."**

**Tony smiled weakly as he was picked up, guards filing out to come and grab him. "I got this." Rhodey said Sternly, walking to the helicopter and climbing inside. The soldiers filed in behind him, guns out and at attention. "Get this thing back to the base." Rhodey commanded, setting Tony down on a bench. "I swear, man, next time, you're riding with me." he said, making the billionaire drink some water.**

**He chuckled, coughing up blood in the process. "Next time..." he mumbled, resting his head on Rhodey's lap.**

**The image changed, showing Tony and Rhodey sitting on a private plane, Tony's arm in a sling. His hair was still disheveled and the scorch marks were bright red and swollen on his shoulders, but the dried blood was gone. A large gash ran down his arm, from the crook of his elbow to his wrist, already cleaned and disinfected.**

**He and Rhodey sat across from one another, Tony in a cushioned chair, sleeping with his cheek pushed against the window, Rhodey with his hands clamped, resting his mouth on them and staring at the man. "What am I gonna do with you..." he mumbled, shaking his head in thought.  
**

**Tony opened his eyes, blinking sleepily as he lifted his head. "Are we there yet...?" he muttered, wiping the sleep from his eyes. Rhodey shook his head, leaning back in his own chair. "Not yet. But were nearly in the states." he replied with a smile. Tony nodded, taking a breath and standing as he stretched his arm, wincing in the process.**

**"Tony, you need to sit down." Rhodey warned, eyeing him in case he fell. Tony shook his head, using his hand to brace himself on the wall. He was still in his dusty tattered shirt, refusing to let the doctors touch his back or chest.**

**Rhodey frowned, standing up. "Tony, you need a new shirt. If you have any wounds, they'll get infected..." he said, looking towards the backroom. The billionaire shook his head, clutching the wall a little tighter. "Please, man. You can trust me."**

**Tony sighed, accepting defeat. He nodded, limping after Rhodey as they walked to the backroom. Past the red curtain that guarded the room was a large space for a plane, with a waterbed set up against the back wall. A large dresser sat against the wall on dark red carpet, and inside the closet suits hung on hangers.**

**Rhodey gently pulled off Tony's shirt, wincing when it caught on his skin, caked there with dried blood. Tony stayed calm, keeping a straight face as the shirt was removed, the whole endeavor taking 20 minutes to complete.**

**Once the shirt was off, Rhodey tossed it in the trashcan and wiped his hands, looking back to Tony and freezing at the sight. The genius's back was covered with lash marks, crossing and running all different ways, like a basket weaving. The gashes were deep and dark red, his whole back looking like raw meat. "Tony..." Rhodey whispered, covering his mouth with his hand.**

**The billionaire sighed, not meeting his gaze. "I don't want pity, Rhodey. Especially from you." he said coldly, his fists clenched at his sides. Tony pulled out the drawer on the dresser, rummaging through it to find a satisfactory shirt to wear. He pulled out a white button-up, tossing it on the bed as he limped to the closet, sliding the door over and grabbing a navy blue suit.**

**He set that, too, on the bed, then looked to Rhodey expectantly, who was still standing with his mouth covered. "You are trained with _some_ medical knowledge, right?" Tony asked, the smallest sliver of hope slipping into his voice. **

**Rhodey shook out of his gaze, nodding quickly. "Yea. Yes, all of us are required to be." he said, his eyes avoiding Tony's back.**

**"Great, then you can patch me up." Tony said simply, poking his head out of the curtain to call the nurse that was on board. "Hey miss? Yea, can we get some alcohol and gauze? Or something like that?" he asked, giving her his signature Stark smile. The nurse nodded, looking unaffected by Tony's smile. "Right away, Mr. Stark." she said, walking to a cabinet to get supplies.**

**Tony's smile disappeared, as did his head, behind the curtain. "Alright, Rhodey, work you magic. Or something." he said, trying to sound as if everything was normal, even though his body ached dully from the meds he was given, accompanied by the chilling sting that swept over his back when the air caught it.**

**"Tony, I- I have medical training, but only the basics. You need a professional to do this for you." the soldier warned, putting up his hands defensively. "I- Something of that magnitude, I could hurt you way worse if I didn't do it prop--" Rhodey was cut off by the nurse walking in, and frowning at the billionaire's back.**

**"Mr. Stark." she said sternly, crossing her arms. She was a short woman, her brown hair coming down to about her ears. It was jagged at the edges and her bangs fell in her face, though they wouldn't when she wore her military cap. She wore a military suit like the rest of Rhodey's officers, though she had the red plus sign on her shoulder.**

**"Why was I not told of these injuries?" she asked, shutting the sound-proof door that was tucked into the wall, giving the trio more privacy than a curtain. Tony's jaw was set, but he didn't look at her. "Mr. Stark, while I understand the fear of having any medical professionals help you out of fear or anxiety, Colonel Rhodes is not equipped with the proper knowledge to help you. No offense, Sir." she said, setting the bottle of rubbing alcohol on the dresser.**

**"None taken." Rhodey said, looking back to the billionaire in question. "Tones, we've been friends for god knows how long, and you should know by now that i'd never let anyone get near you that I didn't trust, or at least, had the power to stop. Let her help you, man." he said, taking off his cap. "I'll take in here if you want."**

**Tony didn't say anything, just stood there as the air conditioner blew the occasional breeze against his back, making the raw flesh burn. "F-" he swallowed, taking a shaky breath. "Fine."**

 

* * *

 

**Tony sat down on the bed, his legs crossed beneath him at he faced the headboard, practically shaking from the mixture of fear, pain, and exhaustion that radiated throughout his body. "Fine, but we're doing it in here. I already have an airplane full of soldiers thinking I'm someone they have to baby, and I don't need anymore of that shit."**

**The nurse nodded, opening the door and walking through the curtains. There was an audible 'SMACK' and then the woman reappeared, her camouflage bag in tow. She shut the door again, cutting off a whine from up front. The lady set down her bag and unzipped it, pulling out a bottle, a medical kit, a bag of multiple gauzes, and a small container that had a syringe inside.**

**Of course, Tony couldn't see any of this since his attention was focused on the grain of the wood, and definitely, _definitely_ not on the pain that had begun to come back. The genius clutched the sheets tightly, listening to the nurse stand and her pants shuffle. **

**"Alright, Mr. Stark, you need to relax so I can give you pain medication." she said, her voice calm but not condescending. The nurse stuck a needle into the crook of Tony's elbow, pushing the clear liquid into his veins slowly and carefully. She then pulled out the syringe, covering it up and tucking it away in a small box. "Ok, you should start to go numb within a few minutes, then we can start." she said as she pulled Rhodey over to talk to him in the corner.**

**The billionaire started at his arms, varying bruises and dark gashes that would probably leave scars, and thought about how long he'd been in captivity. He hadn't known until Rhodey told him. At first, he thought he'd only been there for a month, since that was when the car batter was due to run out, but Rhodey told him that he'd been there for three months, his name on the front lines every few weeks.**

**He looked to his chest, the light blue object reminding him of that place, the dark cave and the men- the water-logging, the torture, the branding the--**

**Tony tried to steady his breathing, which was hard to do with an object embedded into his sternum. He had to keep himself from thinking about it, keep himself from having a panic attack or something. It came on slow, but he could feel the tips of his fingers tingling, the medical sensation moved to his knuckles, slowly making his sense of touch obsolete.**

**He wriggled the digits to get them to move, but as he did he couldn't feel them. The tingling moved up his arms, down his chest and back and into his legs, his whole body feeling as if he sat in a massage chair for way to long. Tony also started to feel sleepy, his eyes drooping slowly.**

**The billionaire swayed, trying desperately to stay awake. When he couldn't muster the willpower anymore, he let himself fall into the darkness, plopping over face-first into the silk sheets of the bed.**

**"Good. Now I can clean his wounds." the nurse said, as calm as if she had just gotten a text. Rhodey sighed and shook his head, taking a seat in the chair beside the mattress. He rubbed his chin, watching as the nurse straightened Tony out so that he lay flat against the bed, arms at his sides. "Colonel?" the nurse asked, looking to the soldier lost in thought.**

**"Hmm?" Rhodey looked up, staring at her in response.**

**"Could you come help me?" she asked, waving him over.**

**"Sure thing." Rhodey replied, standing up and walking closer to the bed.**

 

* * *

 

**When Tony woke up, his sides were a dull ache, and his head was spinning. There were voices talking around him, which went silent when he stirred. "He's...wak..." one said, as the bright light in the room dimmed. Tony groaned, trying to open his eyes.**

**His vision was blurry, only able to make out three clear shapes- or, blobs, really. One, a pale one with brown fluff on their head, their body a fuzzy blur of greens. The second, a dark figure with a light green blurry body, of the same varying fuzzy greens. And the third- another pale figure, this one with bright orange on top of their head and with a blurry white body.**

**It was hot, like- _really_ hot, and his back burned like fire ants. Tony also felt that his back and chest were tight, something being wrapped around his torso. When his vision began to clear, Tony noticed the figures around him had worried faces, the one in the middle- (Pepper, he now realized. Of course it was her.) looking like she'd been crying. **

**The genius tried to speak, his throat feeling dry and rough from breathing through his mouth. He coughed, trying to sit up. Rhodey walked over and helped him, sitting down on the bed beside him for support. Tony settled for breathing steadily, trying to gain his bearings.**

**"Hey Pep...." he said softly, giving the redhead a small smile. Pepper sighed, dabbing the skin beneath her eyes with a tissue. She took a deep breath and clutched her clipboard close to her chest, putting on an emotionless face. "Hello, Tony. We're about to land. Obadiah will be waiting, and we need to get you ho-" Pepper was cut off by the billionaire's hand.**

**"P-Pep..." Tony coughed, his frame shaking. "Hold a press m-meeting." he said sternly, staring her straight on. Pepper sighed, looking the genius up and down. "Tony, you are in no condition to speak to the public." she said, shaking her head.**

**"I don't care. Hold a Press Meeting or I will refuse to rest." Tony persisted, swallowing thickly.**

**Pepper sighed, looking down at her clipboard. "Alright, fine. I'll arrange one for Malibu an hour after we land, alright?" she said, pulling out her phone. "If you'll excuse me, I need to make some calls." and with that, Pepper walked through the curtain, dialing the numbers of every news station and newspaper company she knew of.**

**Tony sighed, looking to the nurse who had been patiently waiting for her turn to speak. "Mr. Stark, your back has been sewn up, as well as cleaned and-" again, Tony interrupted. "Look- I don't care, just help me get up." he said, moving his legs slowly over so that they hung over the bedside. Rhodey helped him to stand, grabbing one arm while the nurse grabbed the other.**

**The pair helped him to put on a button up shirt, then helped him to slip on one arm of his blue suit, the other hanging on his shoulder because of the sling. Tony nodded a thanks, swaying as he tried to walk on his own. Rhodey quickly caught him, helping him to get a feel for walking again. "Thanks, Rhodey..." Tony mumbled, clutching the soldier's shoulder tightly.**

**"I'm not the one you should be thanking, man." Rhodey replied, looking to the nurse. Tony looked up and smiled, limping over to where she had moved. "Thanks, um..." he realized he didn't even know the lady's name. Thankfully, she stepped in.**

**"Max." she said, watching him. "And it's fine. It's my job."**

**Tony nodded, standing a bit straighter. "Alright. we should be landing soon-" Tony patted Rhodey's shoulder, the man letting go. "I'm gonna go sit down." he said as he limped through the curtain, keeping a hand on the wall for support.**

**He walked into the cabin and sat down in a chair by the window, watching as the clouds started to rise. "ZZZCCHSS- ALRIGHT EVERYONE, WERE GOING TO BE MAKING OUR DESCENT IN MALIBU IN ABOUT 10 MINUTES." the voice over the comm was sudden and loud, causing Tony to flinch in his seat. He sighed, resting his chin on his good arm as he watched the earth below come into view.**

 

* * *

 

**Once the plane landed, Tony stood and called Rhodey over, taking a deep breath as the soldiers walked out before him. The genius straightened his tie the best he could, and smoothed out his hair.**

**A soldier poked his head back in, motioning to the pair. "We're ready for you, Mr. Stark." he said, then disappeared outside.**

**Tony took another breath, and put on his best smile. He walked out of the plane door and into the blazing sunlight, putting on his sunglasses immediately. Cameras flashed, (not that he hadn't expected it) as he walked down the stepped, waving with his good arm as Rhodey moved behind him, there in case he slipped. Tony continued down the plane stairs, and walked cooly down the asphalt to the car that was waiting.**

**Happy Hogan was there waiting for him, and he opened the door with a smile. "Welcome back, Boss." he said, closing the door as Tony sat down. Happy then went around to the front, taking a seat in the drivers' side. The car was already running, blowing cool air into Tony's face. The California heat was blazing today, a bad day, Tony decided, to be wearing a suit.**

**As they drove, Happy stayed relatively quiet, allowing Tony to take a short nap from there to- wherever the meeting was being held.**

**On the way, they stopped by a fast-food place, Tony insisting on getting an American burger before he does anything else. The food sat in a brown paper bag on the seat beside him, the genius picking out fries and munching them as they drove.**

**The car pulled up to a large building, guards standing around to keep the photographers away. (Happy wasn't too happy about that bit.) Tony got out of the car and flashed them a smile, then walked into the building and out of the flashing lights. He took off his sunglasses and was led to a room where Pepper was waiting, her ever-present clipboard in her arms.**

**"Hey Pepper." Tony said, waving the guards off. "You set this up quickly." Tony took a seat slowly on the chair, his legs aching. "When's the meeting supposed to start?" he asked. He sat the brown bag on the bed beside him, pulling out a burger.**

**Pepper looked to her board, picking up a small stack of notecards. "Just stick to whats on the cards. Tell them your alright, that you'll be taking a short leave and-" Tony really had a habit of cutting people off mid-sentence.**

**"Whoa whoa whoa, Pep." Tony said, swallowing a bite. "I have something I gotta say. I'll read your cards, but I needed this planned for a reason." A young woman came in at that time, smile on her face with a case of makeup. Tony waved her in, sitting up straight so she could cover the black eye and minor cuts that covered his face.**

**Pepper raised an eyebrow, giving him an 'are you serious?' look. "Tony..." she said, then sighed. "Just don't do anything stupid. Obadiah is going to be up there with you, so if you forget how to talk or something, he'll back you up." she said as if she was trying to convince herself.**

**The man nodded, smiling at the young woman as she finished. "Thanks." he said, making the girl blush. She nodded and packed up her stuff, opening the door and leaving the room.**

**A few moments later, another woman appeared, telling them the meeting was about to start. Tony nodded, standing up and looking in the mirror. "Big things are coming, Pepper. I promise you that." he said, picking up the burger. Tony opened the door and walked out, strutting down the hall.**

**Tony walked into a large room, reporters and newscasters filling the chairs. He made his way up to the podium, turning to face the crowd. Cameras flashed and people held their microphones high, trying to catch every syllable he was about to say. Tony pulled the notecards out of his suit pocket, laying them down on the podium.**

**"You know, I've just spent three months inside of a cave, and it was a long flight back home. Could we sit? Can we all just sit down?" Tony asked, walking around the podium and taking a seat on the steps. Pepper's eyes widened off to the side, but he ignored her. Obadiah shuffled behind the podium, but he ignored him too. Tony had something to tell the world, and damn it if he doesn't get to speak.**

**Tony took a bite of his burger, the reporters waiting in anticipation. He set it on the floor beside him, the waxy yellow paper protecting it. "Ok, where to start?" he asked, looking around. "That's alright I know."**

**He looked around, trying to pick out faces he knew, which weren't many. The genius took a deep breath, and actually laughed a little. "You know, I never got to say goodbye to my father." Bet they didn't expect him to start there. "** **There's questions I would've asked him. I would've asked him how he felt about what his company did, if he was conflicted, if he ever had doubts." Tony's voice was rising, anger tinging his thoughts.**

_**Keep cool, Tony. KEEP COOL.** _

**Tony took a breath, stone face back again. "Or, maybe he was every inch of man we remember from the newsreels." Tony looked to his hands, telling himself he had to do this. "** **I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them. And I saw that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero accountability."**

**Reporters began asking questions, one sticking out in particular. "Mr. Stark, what happened over there?" a young, blonde man in a brown suit and red tie asked, holding his microphone high.**

**Tony looked to him, seeing how much he reminded him of the young soldier who had died trying to protect his spoilt rich ass. How he couldn't have bee more than 23, and how his life was cut short with a spray of bullets.**

**It made him sick.**

**"I had my eyes opened." His eyes threatened to water, but he had learned over the years how to hide pain. After all, Starks are made of iron. "I came to realize that I had more to offer this world than just making things that blow up."**

**This was it. He was actually doing this.**

**The reporters looked to each other in confusion, and Tony risked a glimpse over at Pepper. She looked worried, yet confused at the same time. He looked to Obadiah, who's face was still and almost emotionless, except for the plastic smile he'd perfected for the cameras.**

**"And that is why, effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark Industries." It was done. He'd said it. And the crowd did exactly what he'd expected. They went crazy.  
**

**Obadiah jumped into action, grabbing the microphone out of Tony's hands, not that he cared. Of course he'd object, weapons was SI's main product. He tried to calm everyone down, saying that he and Tony would talk things over, when he was more rational about this, but the billionaire's mind was made up.**

**Tony waved to the frantic reporters, walking down the hall and out of the building, Pepper on his heels. He climbed into the waiting car, the red head climbing in on the other side. Happy drove off down the street, back to the mansion. "Tony, what- what were you thinking?" Pepper said after a long silence, making Tony flinch.**

**"I was _thinking_ that its time Stark Industries branches out into new territory. Cars. Toys. Renewable energy, I don't know." he said, looking over to her. Pepper's neat bun was now in a mess, bright orange strands now hanging down by her ears. To be honest, Tony kinda liked her this way. **

**"But Obadiah--" Tony put up a hand, and took a breath. "Obadiah doesn't own the company. He's not CEO. I am. I make the decisions." he said sternly.**

**Pepper looked to her lap, obviously thinking. The rest of the drive was quiet, until the car pulled up in the driveway of his mansion.**

**"Home sweet home...God I missed you." he said, limping inside the house as Happy and Pepper followed behind. Tony looked around and took a deep breath, the smell he couldn't ever quite figure out, but missed all the same, the lights and tall ceilings, the soft rug and large kitchen, oh and the _workshop._  Tony couldn't wait to get down there, where he really felt at home.   
**

**Tony turned back to his friends, (Yes he considered them that. He didn't have many.) a wide smile on his cheeks. Pepper sighed, trying to pull the loose hairs in her face back into her bun. The genius walked over to her, hugging her tight as he breathed in the vanilla perfume she always wore. "Thank you." he said softly, letting her go. She looked bewildered, confused by the sudden act of affection.**

**He then looked to Happy, who was smiling like a fool. "Happy I-" was all he could get out before the man pulled him into a hug, careful of his back and other injured places. Tony grunted, laughing at his actions.**

**"We'll get out of your hair. I would tell you to get some rest, but I know your just going to go down to that workshop of yours, so just be careful, ok Tony?" Pepper said, patting Happy on the back to get him to follow her. Once the pair got to the door, the redhead turned back. "Welcome home, Tony. We missed you." she said.**

**The door shut with a click, and immediately Tony set off in a dead sprint, the action tugging at stitched in various places. It was painful, but the man couldn't stand being up there anymore. He practically ran down the stairs, punching the code he knew by heart into the keypad. The glass door unlocked, the smell of motor oil and science filling Tony's nose.**

**"Honey, I'm home." he said, striding over to the main computer. Tony motioned his fingers, the holograms springing to life before him. Jarvis's voice came in through the speakers, making Tony's chest feel warm.**

**"Welcome home, Sir." he said, and if A.I.s could have emotion, Jarvis's voice would definitely be glad. "You don't know how good it feels to see your voice, J." Tony said, walking around the desk to the holograms.**

**"Jarvis, I have some data for you to compute. Create a simulation and run it through the holograms." Tony said, typing in codes. The suit he had made in the caves was brought up, the metal clunky and in large plates. "This could use some improvement..." he said, swiping his hand and spinning the hologram. "Lets get to work, J."**

 

* * *

 

The image faded, the screen going black as Tony began work on his new invention. Nervous glances were exchanged, each teammate worried for the billionaire. 

"I've never seen those scars..." Clint said, biting his lip. "And I see everything." 

Natasha sighed, nodding. "They're in his file. Level 9." she said, looking to a confused Steve. "You alright Steve?" 

The soldier nodded, looking shaken up. "Yea- yea i'm fine..." he said, gripping the couch handles tightly. "I- I haven't seen wounds like that since-" he paused, shaking his head. "D-doesn't matter. I gotta talk to Tony." 

"Only problem with that, is were stuck here. Wherever  _here_ is." Bruce chimed in, looking around. 

Clint stood up suddenly, looking around as he ran his through his hair. "We gotta get outta here." He said, walking around the wall, his hand feeling for any hollow spaces. "DAMNIT!" he shrieked as an arm came out and sent volts of electricity through his body, pushing him back. The archer fell to the floor, Natasha running to his side. 

"Holy shit. Clint are you ok?" she asked, kneeling down beside him. Clint blinked, his hair standing on ends. He nodded, coughing as he sat up. 

"I...want out..." was all he said before blacking out, landing in the spy's lap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE*: yes, I know how I explained Tony's time in captivity is different from the movie. HOWEVER, I am doing this completely from memory. So- I'm doing my best. (plus my story and all that jazz)  
> ~  
> Ok, So if you guys have anything to say about this chapter, what you liked, what you didn't, or how you think I could improve on further chapters, please leave me a comment!  
> ~  
> However- I will not be going back and changing any previous chapters, because i'm just plain too lazy for that.  
> ~  
> Anyways, If you liked it, leave a comment, and I'll continue writing more in the future- I really do LOVE getting comments, cause it tells me people are actually reading the story and paying attention to it.  
> ~  
> (BTW: I write these chapters over many different days, so if the mood tends to change, that may be the reason why. Also, my writing is heavily influenced on music, so I often have to write with no music, and I can get distracted easily because of that.)


	11. ~AUTHORS NOTE PT. 2~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 7-4-16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Long time no see, sorry about that.  
> Anyways-  
> I looked in my inbox the other day and saw that someone had said they cried when they read my fic.  
> That's-  
> I don't know what to say, other than wow.  
> thank you, for the kind words, i'm glad(?) I was able to move you to that degree.  
> Anyways-  
> Thanks for all the comments, I'm making a major attempt to get back into this fic, but I have school and theater and I may start driving school soon so.....  
> full plate.  
> But Thank you guys for being patient with me as always!

OMFG.

Hey guys, Racha here, I wanted to start off by saying thank yo to everyone who had read this story so far, and especially to all those who have left comments, I love reading what you guys have to say!

Ok, so I wanted to apologize for my lack of updates, not only on this story, but across ALL of the fics lately. I kind of lost my muse for a while, so it was hard to get back into writing, ya know? But i'm trying, really, I am, but it is especially difficult for this fic because I am looking up manuscripts for the exact words they say in the movies, and it can get tiring copying that down. 

I am trying though, so expect another chapter soon. It may be a short chapter, but expect one nonetheless! :P

Again, thank you guys for being so patient with me, and I am so so sorry that you have had to wait this long for a simple update. 

Love you guys!

~Racha


	12. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, so towards the end of the chapter, I will be taking liberties with what Tony says, and it WON'T be what he said in the movie. lol just a small FYI.

Natasha fanned the archer, trying to revive him. "Come on you idiot, wake up..." she muttered, patting his cheek as he stirred. "nnggh...lemons..." Clint said, opening his eyes. "hmm...what happened?" he asked, looking up at the sky. "What's wrong?"

"You were stupid and got shocked," Natasha replied, lifting him up to sit on his own. She stood, holding out a hand to help him up. "Come on. We'll get out soon enough," she said confidently. 

"I wouldn't say that." a voice rang out, putting the group once again on edge.

"God- Haven't we heard enough of your damn voice, dude?" Clint said, standing up shakily. The voice laughed, the room going dark. the archer glared hard at the wall, swaying a bit until he fell back on the couch. "Hate that guy," he muttered. 

A new image appeared, this one showing Tony in a plain white tank top, a red gauntlet with wires connecting to the arc reactor going through his shirt. He was aiming at a target, lining up slowly.  

 

* * *

 

**"Alright Jarvis, you recording?" Tony asked, raising his arm to aim at the poorly painted target on the wall. "Firing in 3...2...1!" he said as there was a high pitched whine, then a beam of light shooting out of the gauntlet. The force knocked him back, sending him crashing into the concrete ground with a moan.**

**"S-shit..." he muttered, sitting up. He coughed, holding his stomach. "Alright...need to recalibrate it..." he said to himself as he took the armor off, unconnected the wire, and set it on a table.**

**Around him, papers and empty soda cans littered the shop floor, and there were scorch marks and cracks all over the walls and ceiling. "I think- I think that's enough for now... Let's try the boots." Tony said as he pushed his back with his hands, the bones popping as he winced.**

**"Not in the boot, Dummy. Right here." Tony said getting the bot's attention as it shifted its mechanical arm from his boot to his face. "You got me?" he asked, the bot replying with a series of excited beeps and chirps. The billionaire felt a jab on his back, looking behind him to see Butterfingers trying to get past with a plate in its claw.**

**"Okay, I'm sorry. Am I in your way?" he asked sarcastically, side-stepping so the robot could pass. "Dummy, look alive. You're on standby for fire safety," he ordered, rockets firing on with a jump. "Ok, we're gonna start off nice and easy..." he hovered for a split second then dropped to the ground, sighing when it happened.**

**"Ok, let's see if 10% thrust capacity achieves lift," Tony said, gaze flicking to the camera and then back to his feet.**

**"And three.**

**Two.**

**One."**

**Tony turned on the thrusters and was sent rocketing into the wall, the concrete cracking with the force. The man winced, coughing and sputtering as he fell to the ground. "Shit....." he muttered, as Dummy began to spray him with the fire extinguisher.**

**_"Shall I stop the recording there, Sir?"_ Jarvis asked him, the billionaire replying with a whimper. _"I'll take that as a yes, sir."_  **

**Pepper chose that moment to enter the lab, her heels clicking on the concrete floor a he rambled off orders to the man. "I've been buzzing you. Did you hear the intercom?" she asked, tapping her foot.**

**Tony, by now, was sitting on the floor with an ice pack held to his head. "Yea..." he winced, standing up. "Yea everything's...what?" he asked, processing her words. She'd been calling him?**

**Pepper sighed, shaking her head. "Obadiah's upstairs," she said, turning on her heel and walking towards the door. "What would you like me to tell him?" she asked, looking at her clipboard.**

**The billionaire stood, swaying for a moment before steadying himself. "Great- Tell him I'll be right up," he said, tossing the icepack into a table that was now clear of papers.**

**Pepper nodded and walked back upstairs, Tony taking a moment to get his bearings. "He's gonna try to change my mind, J. Isn't he," he asked, leaning on the counter. _"I would believe so, sir."_ the AI replied. **

**The man sighed, opening the door to the lab and walking up the stairs stiffly. His muscles ached and burned, and his head was pounding. Tony walked into the living room to find Obediah sitting on the couch, a pizza box in his lap.**

**"I thought you said you were done making weapons," Obadiah said, his tone slightly annoyed.**

**"This is a flight stabilizer. Completely harmless." Tony replied with a smirk. "So, how'd it go?" he asked, the older man having gone to some press meeting in New York.**

**Tony looked down at the box in Obediah's lap. shaking his head. "That bad, huh?" he asked.**

**The older man aired an eyebrow and shook his head, and exasperated sigh escaping his mouth. "Now, just because I brought pizza doesn't mean it went bad." He said, setting the cardboard box down on the coffee table.**

**"Listen, kid," Tony turned sharply, glaring daggering into the man. "Don't call me kid, Obie." He said.**

**Obediah put up his hands defensively, leaning back in his chair and folding said hands in his lap. "All I'm trying to say is that this hay-brained decision you've come up with, it's gonna cost you millions. Your stocks have already dropped 40 points."**

**Tony sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Obie, I don't care. I have another way to make money, Obediah. I have an idea that this WILL work!" he said, hoisting the elder man up from the couch.**

**"I think we should take another look into arc reactor technology," Tony said, leaning in close.**

**Obediah sighed, shaking his head at the brunet. "Tony, come on. The arc reactor- that's a publicity stunt! I mean- come _on,_ we built that thing to shut the hippies up!" he said, resting his hands on his hips. **

**Tony shook his head, a smile on his face. "No- It works. The arc was never cost effective. We knew that before we built it. We haven't had a breakthrough in what, thirty years?" Tony was getting giddy, though Obediah kept glancing at his chest.**

**"That's what they say," Stane replied.**

**Tony deadpanned, his shoulders going slack. "Oh come on, Could you have a lousier poker face?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Just tell me, who told you?"**

**"Nevermind who told me, show me." the elder replied, a small smirk on his face. His expression changed from a playful one to one of awe as Tony unbuttoned the top of his shirt, the arc reactor model 1 glowing brightly in his chest.**

**"It works," Obediah said, amazed. His shook out of it fairly quickly, gesturing for the billionaire to button his shirt back. "Listen to me Tony, We're a team. You understand? Nothing we can't do if we stick together, huh? Just like your dad and me." Tony bit back a disgusted look, choosing instead to nod his head.**

**"But you gotta help me out here. Give me a bone to throw at the board. Hey, how about I get some guys to draw up plans and analyze that thing, huh?"**

**Tony shook his head, his jaw set. "No, Obie- This one stays with me," he said, the older man shaking his head as he sighed. "I mean it. This one isn't going anywhere, it stays with me. Period."**

**Obadiah nodded, biting the inside of his lip as he picked up the cardboard pizza box. "Then this stays with me. Go on, take a piece," he said, opening the lid. Tony rolled his eyes, taking a slice and turning on his heels.**

**"Mind if I see what you're working on?" the elder tried, Tony letting out a laugh. "Good-night, Obie!" he said, walking downstairs.**

 

* * *

 

**The image shifted to Tony sitting alone in his workshop, breathing heavily. pieces of machinery and scrap metal surrounded him, and there was a smashed coffee cup on the ground, its light brown liquid spilling on the floor. The brunet sat clutching his chest, which held the arc reactor, only, it was the one that had previously been in the glass container.**

**Tony stared blankly ahead, his thoughts a blur as he tried to think of what had just happened. He stood, pulling down his shirt so that it covered the device, (save for the hole he had cut into the center) and held onto the work table he had been leaning against.**

**"That bastard..." he muttered, images of Obadiah's delighted face as he jerked out the arc reactor replaying in his head, making the billionaire's heavy breathing begin again. "I swear, Jarvis, I SWEAR, He is dead," he growled, walking towards a suit of armor.**

**The machines holding the armor came to life as Tony stepped on the platform, the suit assembling around him. "Thinks he can steal my tech..." he said, the face plate coming down. The display came up and illuminated his face, the brunet's jaw was set and his eyes were full of rage and betrayal.**

**His thrusters kicked on in an instant, Tony taking off through the garage tunnel. He flew up into the sky, soaring above the clouds before blasting in the direction his scanners told him the bastard Obadiah would be. "Call Pepper," he said, the woman's profile coming up along with a dialing noise.**

**"Hello?" she answered, confusion in her voice. "Tony? You never call me- what's going on?"**

**Tony kicked up speed as he flew, talking into the mic. "Get that agent guy from the press conference- i don't know what it is about him, but he- i trust him. Get him and take him to SI labs. Obadiah stole my arc reactor- I don't know what he plans to do with it but it can't be good- Stay safe," he said, the call clicking off in an instant.**

**He looked to the scanner, glaring at the blinking light meant to be Obadiah. "Lying bastard- you'll pay for this," he muttered as he approached.**

**The armor landed with a thud in front of Stark Industry Labs, Tony scanning the area for anyone or anything. He heard a crash, and watched in horror as a massive Iron suit rose from the top of the lab, fire erupting from its feet.**

**"No...." he said as he stared at his suit- the Mach 1, staring at him. A clunky, metallic laugh came from inside it, and the suit landed with a crash in front of him, cement cracking underneath the weight. "Obadiah...." Tony growled under his breath, narrowing in on the man's heat signal. "You're a dead man, Obie." he said, tapping into the larger man's comms.**

**Obadiah laughed, gun barrels rotating. "Just try me, son."**

* * *

To Be Continued...

 


End file.
